Allegiance
by BexTheLabRat
Summary: When Arthur is ordered to conduct trade negotiations in the distant kingdom of Calderania, Merlin reluctantly leaves an ailing Gaius to accompany him, but all is not what it seems. Can the boys save themselves and Camelot before it's too late?
1. Chapter 1

Author's note. I don't normally try to write fanfic until I've seen more than four episodes but the new BBC Merlin series caught my attention so I decided to give it a go. Comments are appreciated but please don't be too mean. I hope you enjoy the story. :)

--

Arthur, crown prince of Camelot was awoken at dawn by a summons from his father, King Uther. The Prince's presence was, his father's manservant informed him, required in the great hall immediately. Cursing the fact that his own manservant, Merlin, would not arrive for several hours, Arthur dug out some clothes that he hoped were clean and presentable and headed downstairs to find out what was required of him.

He arrived in the great hall to find Uther deep in conversation with a tall, dark-haired young knight dressed in colours Arthur didn't recognise. As he approached the pair, his father turned to address him.

'Arthur, this is Richard, prince of the Kingdom of Calderania.' The young man offered his hand, which Arthur shook firmly. 'He comes as an envoy from his father, King Henry to discuss the potential for trade between our lands. He also extends an invitation to a reciprocal envoy of Camelot to visit his land as part of a cultural exchange. You will leave today to represent me in Calderania. I trust you will make the necessary arrangements?'

'Of course, father,' Arthur excused himself. Great, more talks and banquets were _just_ what he needed, Arthur thought sarcastically. Still, Calderania was some distance away. If he chose his envoy carefully and dragged Merlin along for entertainment, this might actually be quite enjoyable. With that in mind, he headed down to the stables to make preparations.

--

Merlin, Prince Arthur's manservant, was awoken shortly after dawn by an almighty crash. Not even stopping to put on his boots, he rushed from his room down into the main chamber inhabited by Gaius, royal court physician and Merlin's mentor. Barely noticing the broken glass cutting into his feet, Merlin rushed across to where his friend was lying looking somewhat stunned.

'Gaius, are you all right? What happened?'The older man blinked and shook his head to clear it. It was only now that Merlin noticed the blood trickling down Gaius' temple.

'I must have tripped,' the physician replied, still sounding confused.

'Looks like a fairly nasty gash,' Merlin indicated the head wound. 'You must have hit your head hard on the way down. Let me take a look.' He held out his hand to help the older man up, concerned by to slowness of his friend's response.

'I'm fine,' Gaius decided, finally taking the outstretched hand and allowing the younger man to help him to his feet. As soon as their hands made contact, Merlin was aware that something more was wrong. Gaius' palm was unnaturally clammy and its temperature was far higher than it should have been.

'Well, if you call having a nasty head wound and a high fever fine…' Merlin began. He wrapped the physician's arm around his shoulder and helped the older man to take a seat on his bed.

'Look what you did to your feet,' Gaius muttered distractedly, staring downwards. Merlin glanced down, finally noticing the pieces of glass embedded in his soles. He quickly removed them and muttered a few words, watching as the cuts instantly healed themselves. With another wave of his hand he repaired the broken glass then turned his attention back to Gaius.

'I could…' he began. Gaius shook his head, cringing as pain shot through it.

'Your gift is not a toy,' he reprimanded the younger man. 'There is some alcohol and a cloth on the table. Those will be perfectly sufficient.' Merlin huffed in frustration but nonetheless obeyed the instructions. He was in the process of cleaning the wound when Arthur stormed into the chamber.

'Merlin, rise and shine and pack a bag, we're off to Calderania,' the prince hollered, stopping short when he caught sight of the pair. Gaius made to stand but the young prince quickly motioned for him to stay seated. 'Gaius, are you all right?' he asked, peering at the head wound being treated by Merlin.

'Fine, your highness,' Gaius responded at once, 'I tripped over and hit my head,' he admitted.

'Probably something to do with the raging fever he _hasn't got_,' Merlin muttered sarcastically. 'What was that you said about going to Calderania?' Arthur sighed and shook his head.

'I'm leading a trade envoy to King Henry of Calderania. I was going to take you along but if you're needed here, I'm sure I can arrange a replacement.' Merlin was about to thank Arthur for his consideration when he was interrupted by Gaius.

'No. Merlin, you must go with Prince Arthur.' Merlin turned immediately to argue.

'Gaius, whether you'll admit it or not, you're in no fit state to be left alone. You've already proved that once today.' The older man sighed.

'Merlin, Calderania is a distant and dangerous kingdom. The envoy will undoubtedly be in need of your skills before long. I, on the other hand, was taking care of myself for decades before your arrival. I will be fine here without you.'

'You have skills, Merlin?' Arthur asked, intrigued. Merlin looked startled and turned to Gaius for an explanation.

'I have been training Merlin in medicine since the day he arrived in Camelot,' the physician clarified, 'and the road to Calderania is a dangerous one. His skills will be more vital than either of you yet believes. Merlin must go to Calderania.' Merlin glanced casually at his mentor, looking for a deeper explanation. Gaius nodded subtly.

'All right,' Merlin sighed, giving in, 'but I'm asking Gwen to look in on you.' Gaius' look indicated his surrender and Merlin headed for the door. He was prevented from reaching it by Arthur. 'What?!' he demanded.

'Entertaining though it would be,' Arthur smirked, 'to see you running round the castle in your nightshirt, my father has guests. I don't want the reputation of Camelot irreparably tarnished.' Merlin looked down in embarrassment. 'I will speak to Gwen,' Arthur continued. 'You take care of Gaius and _please_ find some clothes before Gwen and I get back?' There was a huge grin on his face as he turned to leave.

Once the prince had departed, Merlin turned back to his mentor.

'What did you mean, my skills will be vital?' he demanded.

'Calderania is a feudal kingdom that puts high value on the use of magic,' Gaius explained. 'The land is filled with skilled sorcerers, not all of them allied with their king. As Camelot's only warlock you may be Arthur's only hope of returning home alive. Your rudimentary medical training will give you an added advantage.'

'Speaking of my medical training,' Merlin responded, not failing to notice that his friend was now shaking, 'how about giving me a trial run? You need to get some rest.' He gently raised his friend's legs onto the bed and pushed him down onto the pillows. 'Do you have any potions that will help lower your fever?'

'On the left behind that water jug,' Gaius directed, abandoning all pretence of arguing with the young warlock. Quickly dispensing the potion, Merlin placed it by his friend's bedside. After making sure the physician was well-covered with a blanket, he headed towards his room to dress.

'Drink that,' he ordered. 'I'll be right back.'

True to his word, Merlin returned within five minutes, fully-dressed and with a damp cloth, which he laid across Gaius' forehead. As he did so he was reminded of the occasion several weeks earlier when their roles had been reversed. Gaius had not left his side from the time that he had been poisoned until after he had been cured. He perched on the edge of the bed and looked down at the elderly man who had become like a father to him.

'I'm not sure I'm doing the right thing,' he admitted. Gaius smiled and wrapped his hand around Merlin's wrist.

'I will be fine,' he insisted. 'You must go to Calderania. Arthur's life may depend on it.' Merlin was prevented from replying by a bang as the door flew open. Arthur marched in, followed by Gwen.

'Are you ready?' he asked. Merlin nodded then unashamedly pulled Gaius into a hug.

'You take care,' he insisted. Gaius nodded.

'You be careful.' Merlin released the older man and smirked.

'Aren't I always?' He looked across at Gwen. 'Take care of him?' she nodded.

Arthur watched the exchange with a puzzled look on his face. He was, if he was honest, intrigued by and a little envious of the relationship between the two men. Merlin had arrived in Camelot just two months ago, yet the pair had fallen into the kind of easy relationship Arthur had never quite been able to achieve with his father, despite years of effort. He wondered at the bond that seemed to hold the two together and pondered whether there was a key element that he was missing. Finally Merlin stood and took one last look at Gaius.

'I'll see you when I get back.' Arthur realised that this was as much a question as a statement. Gaius evidently understood and acted quickly to reassure his protégé.

'Count on it.' Merlin nodded and followed the prince out of the door. As they approached the stables, he threw a backwards glance in the direction of the physician's chambers. Noticing his servant's distraction, Arthur slung an arm over the younger man's shoulder.

'He'll be fine,' he reassured the young man, 'Gaius is as tough as an old boot – he'll probably outlive both of us.' He grinned. 'Let's go have us an adventure.'

--


	2. Chapter 2

Author's note: Thanks very much for the feedback on the first chapter. Glad to know you're enjoying it so far. I have to confess I'm having fun writing it. :) Here's Chapter 2.

--

'So, why did Gaius really want you to come with me?' Arthur asked as the envoy continued on towards their destination. It was their third day of travel and he and Merlin were slightly ahead of the rest of the group. Arthur had chosen four of his most skilled knights to accompany them, but the four were currently hunting rabbits for dinner and had fallen behind, leaving Merlin alone with Arthur.

'He didn't say it in so many words,' Merlin responded, 'but he thinks you're walking into a trap.' He glanced across to see what impact his words would have on the young prince, and was surprised to see a smile flicker across the other man's lips.

'And he sent you along to protect me?' Arthur was grinning broadly now and Merlin had to admit that if he had been Arthur, the prospect would have sounded ludicrous. He grinned back.

'Maybe he just sent me to clean up the mess.' Merlin sighed. 'I still can't shake the feeling that he was hiding something from me.' Arthur raised an eyebrow.

'Such as?'

'I don't know. His reactions were too slow, it was almost as if…'

'He was ill?' Arthur interjected.

'No. Yes. I don't know.' Merlin shook his head. 'When I found him he seemed confused, distant. As if he was having trouble focusing on where he was.' Arthur snorted and shook his head.

'That wouldn't be right after he hit his head, would it?' the prince inquired. Merlin grimaced.

'That's not what I meant. He…I don't know…I just…'

'Feel guilty for leaving him?' Merlin nodded.

'If anything happens to him and I wasn't there…' he scrubbed a tired hand across his face. Arthur placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

'I don't understand his reasoning,' he began, 'but Gaius was adamant that I bring you along on this journey even though he knew you wanted to stay and take care of him. He must have had good reason. We reach Calderania tomorrow and if all goes well, we'll be home in a week. With any luck he'll be standing there waiting for you as we ride into Camelot and you'll be able to tell him your medical services weren't required after all.' Merlin sighed again, more deeply this time.

'I hope you're right.' Arthur grinned across at him.

'I am,' he insisted. 'It's getting dark, we should make camp. Come on misery guts, I'll race you to that clearing over there.' He spurred his horse into a gallop and Merlin was soon battling to catch up.

--

Gwen once again wrung out a wet cloth and gently pressed it against Gaius' forehead. Since Merlin and Arthur had departed, she had spent every moment that her duties would allow at the physician's bedside. At first, the old man had been alert and even good-humoured, but as the hours drew on, his focus began to wane and there were periods when he didn't respond to her at all. As the days progressed, his phases of alertness were fewer and farther between and by the end of the third day, Gwen had begun to wonder whether the fever had totally consumed what was left of the physician's mind. She wished Merlin was there with her. Maybe he could have alleviated her feelings of helplessness.

'He should never have left,' she whispered, pressing the cool cloth onto Gaius' cheek, 'he should be here with you.' To her surprise, the old man's eyelids fluttered and his fever-bright eyes locked with hers.

'No,' he responded taking hold of her hand, 'Merlin was right to go. The time will soon come when Arthur will have great need of him.' The physician's eyes slipped shut but the words continued. 'I fear this is a battle that I may well lose. Tell Merlin I'm sorry I broke my promise. Ask him…forgive me.' The final words were spoken barely louder than a whisper. As Gaius' grip slackened, a single tear fell down Gwen's cheek.

--

Merlin couldn't sleep. He tossed and turned on his bedroll, unable to shake the feeling that something was badly wrong. If only he hadn't left Camelot. If only he had some way of contacting Gaius. Suddenly, his heart skipped a beat – maybe he could! Just a few weeks ago he had somehow formed a mental link with Arthur over a great distance. Admittedly he had been unconscious at the time, but if he could do it once, he may well be able to do it again. The link had been unidirectional, Arthur had been completely unaware of the identity of his guiding light, but maybe Gaius would be more receptive. Whatever the result, he had nothing to lose by trying. He thoroughly cleared his mind and focused only on Gaius. At first he felt nothing, but after a while he began to detect a weak presence. Carefully, he moved towards it, then slowly reached out to touch it.

'Merlin, what on Earth are you doing here? I told you to stay with Arthur!' Merlin blinked. He had somehow been transported into a dark chamber and now seemed to be facing an angry Gaius.

'I am with Arthur,' he responded, confused. He felt himself being grabbed by the wrist and pulled into a small side-chamber. Gaius immediately slammed the door behind them.

'Be careful, she must not know you're here,' the physician cautioned. Merlin took a closer look around. It looked very much like he was in a storeroom on Camelot's lower levels. 'I ask you again,' Gaius continued, 'why aren't you with Arthur?'

'I am!' Merlin insisted again. 'We set up camp a couple of hours ago and should arrive at the palace tomorrow. I just needed to know…' The physician shook his head.

'Remarkable. I would not have thought it possible. Even the most powerful sorcerers have great difficulty penetrating another's consciousness, particularly to this extent. From such a great distance it should be impossible.'

'Wait,' Merlin began. 'Are you trying to tell me I'm inside your head?'

'Indeed, and I am afraid you're not the only one.'

'She..?'

'A powerful sorceress by the name of Ariana. She arrived with Prince Richard's party on the morning you departed. I have been fighting her invasion ever since. At first she underestimated my defences and I was able to obtain information from her, but I fear I am weakening. It is taking all of my effort to repel her.'

'The fever, everything? It was all caused by magic?' Merlin was indignant. 'Why didn't you tell me?' he demanded.

'You would never have left me,' Gaius chided the warlock gently. 'As I told you, it is vital that Arthur does not face the Calderanians alone, and we both know he will not be dissuaded from completing his mission.'

'Let me help you now,' Merlin begged, 'together we can force her out of your mind.'

'No!' the physician was adamant. 'They must not be aware of your skills. The plot is far more complex than I initially understood. I believe my incapacitation is only the first step in a scheme to overthrow Camelot. Once Arthur has been dispatched, Uther will be without an heir. Using what knowledge I obtained from Ariana, I have deduced that the next step will be to murder the king. With no physician to prevent or cast suspicion on his death, and with the news that Prince Arthur has been killed by outlaws, Camelot will descend into chaos. Without a leader the armies of Camelot will be no match for the soldiers and mages of Calderania. You must stay by Arthur's side and follow wherever he goes. So long as the enemy remain ignorant of your powers they will underestimate you. They believe Camelot to be devoid of all forms of magic and that belief may be your only chance. You must keep Arthur alive at all costs. The future of Camelot depends on it.'

'What about you?' Merlin countered immediately. 'You're barely maintaining control as it is!'

'Sacrifices must be made,' Gaius answered calmly. 'You must go. If she discovers you here, all this will have been for nothing.'

'Gaius, no!' Merlin yelled as the connection was broken, 'you can't just let her kill you!' He frantically sought to reconnect with Gaius' mind but the physician's essence was nowhere to be found.


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note: Thanks again for the feedback. It really is much appreciated and I hope I'm making it worth your while. Thanks for reading :)

--

'Merlin, what's wrong? Are you in pain?' Merlin's eyes snapped open and he found himself back in the camp, his shoulders being held firmly in Arthur's strong grip.

'What?' he managed to splutter, noticing as consciousness returned that he was shivering violently and drenched in cold sweat. Arthur tried again.

'You were screaming,' he informed the younger man. 'Are you ill?' he asked more gently. Merlin shook his head slowly, trying to get his breathing under control.

'I was…I saw…he was…' Merlin's eyes widened and he caught Arthur's shirt in a death grip. 'Something bad is going to happen. We have to go back to Camelot!'

'Merlin, calm down,' the prince ordered, not unkindly. 'You had a nightmare. It wasn't real, everything is fine.' The warlock shook his head more violently.

'It was real. Gaius told me everyone was in grave danger,' his voice caught in his throat for a moment before he continued. 'I think he might be dead.' Arthur sighed and tightened his grip.

'Merlin, listen to me. You were having a nightmare. You were worried about Gaius and you imagined him dead,' he paused, unsure how to deal with his emotional servant. Finally he let out a breath. 'I know what Gaius means to you and I'm sorry I didn't order you to stay in Camelot. Look, we'll have some breakfast, then I'll send Edward back to Camelot with you, okay?' he indicated one of the four knights, who were sitting around the campfire. Far from reassuring the young man, Arthur's words made Merlin even more frantic.

'No!'

'Merlin, I can't just turn around and go back to Camelot,' the prince explained, 'I have my father's business to attend to. You go back to Camelot and see Gaius. I'll follow you in a few days.' The warlock forced himself to calm down and released the grip on Arthur's shirt. Gaius had been right - arguing with Arthur would not dissuade him from his mission. Merlin had been tasked with Arthur's protection and would not be found wanting. He needed to regain control of his emotions before Arthur ordered him sent away. He lowered his head.

'I'm okay,' he lied. 'Even if what I saw was true, there's nothing I can do to help Gaius now. If you're going to Calderania, then so am I.' The prince studied his servant for a moment then released the grip on his shoulders.

'You're sure?' he asked. At Merlin's nod, he held out a hand and pulled his friend to his feet. 'Come on, let's get going,' he suggested. 'The sooner we get this out of the way, the sooner we can get back to Camelot.'

--

'He won't even see me!' Lady Morgana fumed as she flung open the door to Gaius' chambers then slammed the door behind her. 'He's been locked in the great hall with that so-called trade envoy for over three days. What are they, his new best friends or something? They haven't even come out to sleep,' she continued indignantly.

Gwen, who had been dozing in a chair next to the physician's bedside had awoken immediately as the tirade began but wisely chose to say nothing.

'He's been drugged. He must have been drugged,' Morgana continued. 'He's refused to let the servants in before but he's never refused to speak to me. Something's wrong, I know it.'

Gwen continued to stare at her mistress, too exhausted to formulate a response. Morgana seemed not to notice.

'I'm beginning to think he sent Arthur away on purpose – not that Arthur could talk any sense into him, mind. They're both too stubborn to listen to one another. If only Arthur and Merlin were here, maybe one of them could come up with a way to fix this mess. If Gaius were awake he'd know what to do.' Morgana paused for a moment and fixed her eyes on the still figure on the bed. 'Has he said anything?' she asked. Gwen shook her head.

'He hasn't moved at all since he spoke to me last night. If his fever wasn't so high, I wouldn't even know he was still alive. Nothing I do seems to have any effect.'

'You're doing what you can,' Morgana was quick to reassure her maidservant. 'All you can do is keep him cool and hope he pulls through. Gaius is tough – he won't give up without a fight.' Gwen nodded, taking the physician's hand in hers. She locked eyes with her mistress.

'If he…what am I going to tell Merlin?'

As Morgana considered her response, the door opened once again and a tall man dressed in the armour of the Knights of Camelot entered the room.

'My apologies for the interruption, my lady,' the knight began, 'but we felt you should be informed. It's the king…'

'I knew it!' Morgana took no pleasure in her statement. 'I knew something was wrong,' she continued. 'What's happened to him?'

'He may have lost his mind,' the knight responded. 'He's ordered us to ready the entire military force of Camelot. He's formed an alliance with the Calderanians and he plans to invade Mercia.'

--

As the silhouette of their destination appeared in the distance, Arthur shot yet another surreptitious glance at his manservant. Despite Merlin's earlier assurances that he was fine, the prince was far from convinced. The younger man hadn't spoken a word since breakfast this morning and it didn't take a genius to work out that he was deeply distressed. Arthur began to wonder whether Gaius had not had an ulterior motive when he had ordered Merlin to accompany the envoy. The physician had clearly stated that the road to Calderania was perilous, but the group had yet to encounter a single predatory wild animal, let alone any signs of human activity. If the old man had known he was dying, would he have sent the younger man away to save him the pain of watching? Arthur dismissed the idea almost as soon as he had thought of it. Although there were many aspects to the relationship between the physician and his protégé, the prince was certain that dishonesty was not one of them. That thought dismissed, Arthur considered, why _was_ the road so quiet? If Gaius had been right about the danger, then the distinct absence of peril was indicative of something. Somebody wanted to make sure the party arrived at the Castle of Calder unassailed. Somebody powerful enough to maintain absolute control. Suddenly, Gaius' warnings did not seem so ridiculous. Arthur's senses became heightened as he began to scan the area for danger.

Merlin rode silently, paying little heed to his surroundings. He had spent much of the day trying in vain to reach Gaius, but the physician either could not or would not respond. The journey to Calderania had been completely uneventful and Merlin was beginning to wonder whether he should have disobeyed the older man and remained by his side. Only Gaius' unwavering insistence, even in the face of death, that Merlin was needed by Arthur's side convinced him not to turn around and head straight for Camelot. As wrapped up in his own thoughts as he was, Merlin was the last to notice the figure approaching on horseback.

'My lords,' the figure called out, 'King Henry of Calderania bids you welcome and requests the pleasure of your company at a banquet in your honour this evening.' Arthur immediately propelled his horse forward to reciprocate the gesture.

'My lord, we would be honoured. I am Arthur, Crown Prince of Camelot, and I bring greetings from my father, Uther Pendragon. May I present my knights, Sir Edward, Sir Michael, Sir William and Sir James, and my manservant, Merlin.'

Introductions completed, the six were led to a suite of rooms where they were instructed to wash up and prepare for dinner. Merlin groaned in dismay when Arthur handed him a set of the much hated dress robes, worn by all servants of Camelot to official functions.

'Cheer up, Merlin,' Arthur smirked. 'At least I didn't bring the hat.' His statement elicited a slight smile from his friend. The hat was by far the most humiliating part of the outfit. 'Listen,' he continued after a moment. 'Something's going on here. I want you to stay close and stay alert. Any sign of trouble, stay with me, got it?' Since staying close to Arthur had been his plan throughout, Merlin nodded in agreement.

At the appointed hour, a servant collected them and escorted them to the feast. Merlin stood as close behind Arthur's chair as possible while the knights ate. He had been offered both food and wine but had found that he simply wasn't hungry. All he could think about was Gaius and the fact that he might never see his friend's face again. In the short time the pair had known each other, Merlin had become greatly dependent on the older man and couldn't imagine life without him. He momentarily considered once again trying to reach the physician but immediately put the thought to one side. Arthur had told him to be alert. Shaking his head to push away the thoughts, he decided to tune in to the conversation.

'A knight must possess far more skills than the ability to fight,' King Henry was saying, 'he must be observant, strong and brave, but above all, he must be highly skilled in sorcery.'

'In magic?' Arthur was asking, surprised.

'Indeed,' the king continued. 'All knights must pass a test which taxes both their combat and spellcasting skills to the limit. Only then will they have proven themselves worthy.'

'What kind of test?' Arthur was asking politely.

'Oh, you'll find out soon enough,' the king responded. He clicked his fingers and Arthur and his four knights immediately slumped forward. The king looked up at Merlin. 'Only a foolish regime would fail to take advantage of all the weapons at its disposal, don't you think?' Merlin opened his mouth to speak, but before he could reply, King Henry continued. 'You should have taken the wine. It would have been much less painful that way.' Before Merlin could ask for clarification, he felt a sharp impact to the back of his head. He felt his knees give way before everything was encompassed by blackness. He was unconscious before he hit the ground.

--

If Morgana had been furious before, she was seething now. It was one thing for her guardian to lock himself away and refuse to speak to her, but quite another for him to start a pointless war over nothing. Whatever was going on, she was determined to find out. Fighting her way past the guards, she pushed open the door, stormed into the great hall and approached the king.

'Are you out of your mind?' she demanded. 'What the hell do you think you're doing? We signed a peace treaty with Mercia just a few weeks ago. We narrowly managed to avoid a war then. What in God's name are you doing trying to start another one?!'

'Morgana, this does not concern you,' the king replied. 'The Calderanian envoy and I have business to discuss. You will leave now.'

'Not until you give me some kind of explanation,' she yelled back. 'This is absolute lunacy.'

'I do not have to explain myself to you, insolent child,' the king screamed. He lifted his hand and slapped her round the face. Morgana stared in shock. She lifted a hand to a face and touched he cheek gently before lifting her head to face her assailant once more.

'I don't know who the hell you are,' she hissed, eyes blazing, 'but you are not Uther Pendragon.' No sooner had she uttered the words than she was seized from both sides and a cloth was stuffed into her mouth. Battling furiously she fought to free herself but her strength was no match for her captors'. She was dragged to the furthest dungeons of the castle and thrown roughly into a cell. The door was slammed shut behind her. She removed the cloth from her mouth. As her eyes adjusted to the near pitch darkness, she became aware of another figure lying at the other end of the cell.

'Hello?' she called.

'Morgana?' a weak but familiar voice answered her. She immediately rushed to his side.

'Uther?' she asked in disbelief. 'If you're locked down here with me, who the hell is that up there ruling Camelot?'


	4. Chapter 4

Author's note: Thanks very much for all the great feedback. I've finally managed to get the next chapter written. This story seems to be taking on a life of its own and seems to be getting longer but I wanted to get at least a bit more posted before I go on holiday. Hope you enjoy.

--

Arthur slowly opened his eyes, bringing into focus the damp, earthen ceiling directly above him. After cursorily checking his body for signs of injury, he lifted his head and examined his surroundings more closely. He was in a long, narrow room with a door at one end. The door was solid iron and the ceiling barely above head height. Some kind of cell, then. Pulling himself to a sitting position and ignoring the temporary dizziness that was no doubt a result of some form of drug, he scanned the rest of the cell. He wasn't alone. Merlin's still form was slumped in the corner furthest from the door. From this distance, there was no indication that the younger man was breathing. Lacking the strength to stand, Arthur dragged himself across the floor towards his friend.

'Merlin,' he called out. 'Merlin, wake up!' There was no response from his servant. Hesitantly, he reached out and felt for a pulse. Reassured to find it was strong, he began to examine his friend for obvious signs of injury. Carefully, he ran his hands firstly along Merlin's arms, legs and torso. Satisfied that the young man's body showed no sign of injury, Arthur turned his attention to his friend's skull. As he reached the back of his servant's head, he located the source of Merlin's unconsciousness. A large welt was present on the back of his friend's head and the man's hair was matted with wet blood.

'Some use your medical skills are when you're the one who gets knocked out,' Arthur vented to the unconscious man. He sighed. He had no idea how long they had been in the cell and no indication of how long he or Merlin had been unconscious. Well, there was little he could do until Merlin woke up or until his strength returned. Frustrated, he sat down to wait.

--

Morgana glared at the wall and kicked out at it in frustration. She had been trapped down here for what felt like days and every second she wasted brought the armies of Camelot one second closer to war. If she didn't get out of here soon, it was going to be too late.

'They must have planned this very carefully,' Morgana decided, glancing across at her guardian. 'Nobody's going to find us for days. If only you hadn't sent Arthur and Merlin to Calderania, we might stand a chance.'

'What do you mean?' Uther demanded. 'I didn't send Arthur anywhere.'

'Four days ago, the morning the Calderanians arrived. You ordered Arthur to lead a trade envoy. He left that morning.'

'I would never do business with those peddlers of magic tricks!' Uther spat. 'They arrived in the middle of the night without warning and demanded an audience. Before I knew it they were casting some form of enchantment.' The last word was said with a venom that clearly conveyed his opinion of the process. 'They used magic to replace me with one of them and I've been locked down here ever since. Now you see first hand why I have been warning of the dangers of magic.'

'If Camelot had people with the knowledge to deal with enchantments, I wouldn't have been the first person to notice you'd been replaced,' Morgana argued.

'There is one person in Camelot who has that knowledge,' Uther began, 'Before I brought order to the land, he had frequent conflicts with the powers of evil,' he continued. 'We must find a way to contact Gaius.'

Morgana sighed. 'Somehow I was afraid you were going to say that.'

--

Merlin returned to consciousness slowly. As the feeling returned to his body, he became painfully aware of the wound in the back of his head, which was throbbing in time with his breathing.

'Merlin?' Arthur's voice asked hopefully. To Merlin his voice felt as loud as the chiming of a thousand bells. A thousand extremely loud bells. He clamped his hands over his ears and let out a low moan.

'Kill me now!' he groaned. 'Death can't possibly hurt as much as this.' His master laughed mirthlessly.

'Welcome back. I was beginning to think you were never going to wake up,' Arthur's voice sounded relieved.

'I'm beginning to wish I hadn't,' Merlin complained again, sitting up. He dropped his head forward onto his knees and attempted to get the waves of pain and nausea under control. 'What happened?'

'I had planned to ask you the same question,' Arthur replied. 'I'm making the assumption that I was drugged, but something tells me you didn't go so quietly.'

'The wine,' Merlin remembered after a moment. 'I didn't drink any. I think they got me from behind.'

'Can you stand?' Arthur asked after a few minutes. 'I don't know where the others are but we need to get out of here.' To Merlin's surprise, it was not he, but Arthur who began to sway once the pair had struggled to their feet. Reaching out a steadying arm, he examined his master closely. 'I'm fine,' Arthur insisted, noticing his servant's scrutiny. He reached out and placed his hand on the nearest wall for support. 'Stop staring at me and start working on a way to get us out of here.'

'Have you tried the door?' Merlin asked, trying his best not to sound as though he was mocking his master.

'Tried the door?!' Arthur asked incredulously. 'We've been drugged, knocked out and dumped in a cell and the best way you can come up with to escape is to try the door? I can see why Gaius insisted that you come along now. With your staggeringly huge intellect, we'll be out of here in no time.' Despite Arthur's sarcastic tone, Merlin was unfazed.

'Well, have you?' he demanded.

'No,' Arthur was forced to admit. He hung his head. 'I wasn't sure I could make it back to you if I managed to reach the door. I can't seem to shake the effects of the drugs.' Merlin gently squeezed his shoulder.

'Fine, huh? You stay there. I'll try the door.' Merlin walked carefully over to the door, doing his best not to aggravate his headache. Once his back was towards Arthur, he whispered a few words and the pain immediately began to recede. That dealt with, he turned his attention to the door. As he had expected, it was locked shut. His questioning, however, had assured him that Arthur was not aware of this fact. A whispered spell and a turned handle later, the door swung open. He smirked at the prince. 'Stupid idea, right?' Arthur shrugged, still holding onto the wall. Merlin was concerned. He was sure their escape would be no mean feat, and Arthur was currently in no state to make the attempt. A restorative charm should eliminate the effects of the drugs, but there was no way of casting the spell without his master noticing. He stuck his head outside the door and scanned their immediate surroundings. The area was empty except for a stool and a small table containing a jug of water and a tankard. Suddenly, Merlin had an idea. Pouring some of the water into the tankard, he returned to the cell and handed it to Arthur, who was now leaning against the wall, both eyes closed. 'Drink this,' he instructed, 'It'll make you feel better.' As the prince raised the tankard and swallowed the water, Merlin's lips silently formed the words of a powerful healing spell.

The healing spell washed over Arthur like a cold shower. He looked up in surprise and raised an eyebrow. 'Where did you get this?' he asked.

'A secret formula handed down through the generations,' Merlin grinned. 'A good physician never reveals all his secrets. How are you feeling?'

'Better, thanks. Good, actually,' Arthur was surprised to admit. 'Are you ready to get out of here?' The warlock nodded in response.

The two made their way through the corridors of the construct, encountering no-one. Finally, after several hours of walking they located an exit. Excitedly, they rushed towards it. As they exited the confines of the building, a voice rang out.

'Arthur Pendragon,' both Merlin and Arthur turned in the direction of the voice. They recognised the lord who had greeted them when they had arrived at the castle. 'I had not thought that you would get even this far,' the man continued. 'Your wine was drugged with a compound that has a greater effect as your physical activity increases. Your knights succumbed to its effects whilst attempting to break open their cell doors. It is rare for a man to survive its effects. To recover as you have is unheard of, save with the assistance of powerful magic.' Arthur shot a puzzled look in Merlin's direction. How had Merlin been able to open the door so easily and where had the healing potion come from?

'If you wish to leave this place,' the lord continued, 'you must now face me in single combat. I warn you, however, that no man has ever come close to defeating me. Unlike the knights of Calderania, if you accept this challenge, you will not be given the chance to surrender.'

'And if I refuse?' Arthur queried.

'Then I will kill you where you stand,' the man responded.

'What about Merlin?' Arthur demanded.

'The boy is no soldier,' the knight stated. 'His fate will be as yours.'

'And all I have to do is fight you?'

'To defeat me would require combat skills greater than I have ever seen. To survive even a small wound from my sword would require powers equal to those of the greatest sorcerer. The odds are impossible'

'If the choice is that or death, I'll take it,' Arthur informed the man, drawing his sword. Biding his time he approached, watching his opponent's eyes for a clue to his actions.

Merlin looked on in horror, fully aware that though the prince was skilled in combat, his magical powers were nonexistent. Arthur would require the loan of all Merlin's skills to defeat the Calderanian knight. As Arthur came within fighting distance of the knight, Merlin began to utter the words of a shielding spell.

Arthur felt rather than saw the change as the spell settled around him like an extra skin. He wielded his sword skilfully as his opponent came into range. The knight swung his sword, but Arthur parried the blow easily and delivered one of his own, causing his opponent's armour to tear. Before he could follow through, however, the man's sword swung towards him and he was forced to dive out of the way before the weapon made contact. Pulling himself to his feet, he charged again. This time to his surprise a fireball flew in his direction but it bounced harmlessly off the shield Merlin had created for him. The knight raised an eyebrow.

'Not as powerless as you would like me to believe,' the knight said in shock. 'Camelot is clearly not as free of magic as you would have us believe.' Stunned though he was at the ineffectiveness of the fireball, Arthur did not respond to the other man. He would not be drawn into word games designed to distract him from his eventual goal. He swung his sword again, this time making contact and creating a huge gash in his adversary's torso.

The knight swore in frustration as spell after spell failed to have any effect on the prince of Camelot. For the first time in his life he had underestimated his adversary and was now facing the consequences. Who would have thought that the son of Uther Pendragon would have command over such powerful magic? If he were to die, however, Arthur must be forced to join him. Regaining his focus, he thrust his sword again. This time the weapon sliced a small wound into the prince's arm. The combination of poison and enchantments on the blade of his sword should induce instant death, even from such a tiny cut.

As his opponent's sword made contact with his bicep, Arthur's whole body erupted in agony. Although Merlin's shielding had served as protection against the enchantments, it served no such purpose with regard to the poison. The prince's muscles began to spasm and he fell to his knees, certain that the end had come. He attempted to raise his shield against the killing blow that was sure to be delivered at any moment, but his entire body failed to respond.

Merlin realised almost too late that his friend had been disabled. He had been focusing all his attention maintaining Arthur's shield and had failed to anticipate that the sword would also be tipped with poison. The knight lifted his sword to deliver the killing blow. Merlin needed to act now, and the best way to save Arthur was to use the simplest form of magic, one he had been practising since the day he was born. The ability to physically control his surroundings.

Arthur knelt, willing his body to respond. In his mind, over and over again he pictured his arm raising his wooden shield to protect him, but it was no use. His muscles were powerless. He watched helplessly as his opponent raised his sword, desperately trying to remain conscious. Suddenly, as though with a mind of his own, his shield lifted itself into the position he had imagined, just in time to prevent the impact of the sword across his neck. As he continued to kneel helplessly, his sword lifted itself and pulled it with him to his feet. For five minutes it seemed as though he were a puppet, his body completely under the control of some unknown force. He watched as his body fought fiercely, forcing his opponent back, striking the knight repeatedly, over and over again until he collapsed to the ground. Though the man was not dead yet, he would bleed to death from his wounds within minutes. Arthur stared in shock at his downed adversary.

'Your power is greater than any I have ever seen,' the man murmured, as he fell into unconsciousness.

Arthur continued to gape in stunned silence as Merlin rushed forward. Knowing that the danger was now over, the warlock released his control on the prince and reached out to offer physical support. The prince's limbs were still barely under his control and Merlin's help was needed if he were to stay standing. Merlin looked into his friend's eyes, taking in the horror and fear displayed within them. He hung his head, sure that Arthur was about to disown him for his use of magic. He would never in a million years have anticipated the stunned words that emanated from the prince's mouth.

'Merlin,' he gasped, the terror still evident in his face. 'I think I just did magic.' Arthur's eyes rolled back into his head and Merlin was only just able to catch his unconscious form before it hit the ground.


	5. Chapter 5

Author's Note: Thanks, I'm loving the detailed feedback and I'm pleased you're enjoying the story. Apologies for the delay, but I didn't get back from holiday until 9 hours before I was due back at work so I figured I should probably sleep instead of write. :-/ Here's the next instalment, I hope it was worth the wait. :)

---

'If Gaius is dying,' Uther began, 'it is no coincidence. He and I share many powerful enemies, who are well aware of his abilities.'

'I thought Gaius was just a physician,' Morgana queried in surprise.

'Perhaps now,' Uther responded, 'but it was not always the case. As a youth Gaius was well-trained in the art of magic. When we met, he freely practised his sorcery. He would have been banished with the others, were it not for the fact that he saved my life. I allowed him to remain only after eliciting his promise never to practise magic again.'

'But clearly you trust him now,' Morgana responded.

'After his promise forced him to abandon magic, Gaius turned his mind to science,' the king explained. 'He is now a more skilled physician than I have ever met,' Uther continued, 'and has saved my life and those of our family many times, by using science, not magic.'

'But you don't like him?' Morgan astutely pointed out.

'I consider Gaius a friend now, but once he embodied all that I despise,' the king elucidated, 'and even now he disagrees with my policy on magic. I trust him as a man of his word but Gaius and I will never see eye to eye on many things. In any case, it is of no matter. If Gaius cannot help us, we must rely on Arthur to overcome our enemies and return in time to save Camelot.'

---

Arthur was only faintly aware of Merlin's presence as his legs gave way. White hot pain shot through his body like needles of fire and it was all he could do to keep from screaming in agony. Never had he felt a pain so intense, so excruciating. Was this what it felt like to do magic? Why would anyone voluntarily do anything so painful?

'Hold on Arthur,' he was vaguely aware of Merlin's voice penetrating the pain-filled haze. 'You've been poisoned but you're going to be fine. I don't have the potions to help you here but I'm going to get you back to Camelot. Gaius has all the information I need to combat the poison. I know it hurts but just hold on.'

Hauling the prince over his shoulder, Merlin had run from the scene of the fight, not stopping until he had put several miles between Arthur and anyone who might want to pursue him. Finally he could run no longer, and finding a secluded spot, had gently lowered Arthur to the floor. The prince was barely conscious but even in his semi-conscious state, he was writhing in agony. Merlin wasn't even sure Arthur was hearing or understanding his words. All Merlin's attempts at healing spells had failed miserably. Assuming his shield had protected the prince from all forms of magic, the poison coursing through his veins could only have a conventional origin. Clearly science, rather than magic, would hold the solution.

Merlin was sure Arthur could not withstand the pain for long enough for him to carry the prince all the way to Camelot on foot. At a steady pace, it had taken three days on horseback to reach their present location. In an emergency, and on a good horse, the distance could perhaps be covered in nine to twelve hours. Arthur might hold out for that long, but not for the five to six days it would have taken Merlin to walk home. Obviously, Merlin decided, they needed a horse, and the only place a horse was likely to be found was in the castle from which they had just come. If he were to have any chance of saving his friend, Merlin would first have to leave him alone and in pain and head back to the prison they had just escaped.

'Arthur,' Merlin attempted to get through to the older man. 'I have to leave you here for a while. I need to find us a horse. Do you understand what I'm telling you?' he asked desperately.

The prince's eyes opened and the agony within them made the warlock wonder how the man was managing not to scream, let alone how he would be able to think. Arthur was a stronger man than Merlin would have been in his place. Nonetheless, Arthur was obviously afraid now.

'Stay,' he commanded, taking hold of his servant's arm. 'Please?' he added, the desperation clear in his voice. Merlin sighed, clasping a hand over that of his friend.

'If you order me to stay, I will of course obey your order, but if I stay here, there's nothing I can do to help you,' the servant explained. 'We are far from Camelot and I need the information stored in Gaius' library to find a way to cure you. In order to do that, I need to find a horse that will be fast enough to get us back to Camelot before it's too late. I have to go back to the castle. Please let me do this.'

Arthur thought for a moment, but instead of agreeing, he tightened his grip on his servant's arm.

'Camelot. My father. The magic,' he gasped, fighting against the agony it was causing him to speak. 'We can't go back.' Merlin sighed. In order to save his friend, he was going to have to risk his own life once again.

'Listen to me Arthur. You did no magic. It was me, all of it,' he admitted, 'I'm the sorcerer. You did nothing, you're innocent.' Arthur shook his head vehemently.

'No Merlin,' he hissed, 'I don't know what kind of self-sacrificing complex you have, but you can't save everybody by taking responsibility for their actions. You're not sacrificing yourself for me again.' Merlin groaned. Trust Arthur to come to entirely the wrong conclusion in the face of the obvious. He needed to change tack.

'Okay, you've got me,' he admitted, 'but what else was I supposed to say? You were hurt. You were hallucinating. There was no magic. I saw nothing. If your father asks, I'll tell him the truth – nothing happened.' The prince grimaced.

'Thank you, but I can't let you…'

'Arthur, listen to me,' Merlin ordered, surprised at the tone of command in his voice. 'My allegiance is not to your father, it is to you. You are my master and I must serve you to the best of my ability. If I do not do this, you will die. What kind of servant would that make me? Whatever happens later, it can't be any worse than watching you die in agony. Please let me help you.'

After what seemed like an eternity, the prince finally nodded and released his grip on the younger man's wrist.

'Merlin, be careful,' he gasped, 'don't get yourself killed on my account.'

'I'll be back in a couple of hours,' Merlin responded. Taking one last look at his friend, Merlin began the long walk back to the castle.

---

Merlin approached the castle silently, under cover of trees. So far as he could ascertain, he had not been spotted. He had taken off his servants' robes, grateful that he had decided to keep on his ordinary clothes underneath. Hopefully his current state of dress would not look out of place amongst the servants of Calderania and he would have the opportunity to at least reach the stables before he was confronted. From his memories of yesterday (_had that only been last night?_ he asked himself), he knew the approximate location of the stables. He only hoped that Arthur's horse would still be where they had left her and that the knight's death had not yet been discovered. Keeping his head down, he fell into step with a group of youngsters as they passed through an archway and into the castle grounds. He made it to the stables without being accosted and was relieved to find that Arthur's horse was still where they had stabled her the night before.

Approaching silently, Merlin held out his hand. The horse, a grey mare that Arthur had seen fit to name Fortuna, recognised him instantly and nuzzled his shoulder. Praying that he would not be detected, Merlin swiftly saddled the mare - he was well-practised from his months in Arthur's service. His preparations complete, he led the horse out of the stable and headed back towards the archway. As he approached it, a voice sounded from behind him.

'Hey you! Where do you think you're taking that horse?' Merlin sighed; he had been doing so well. Slowly he turned to meet his accuser, identifiable as a member of the palace guard by the clothes he was wearing.

'The horse needs exercise,' he stated, 'I am ordered to ensure that she gets it.'

'Under whose orders?' the guard demanded. 'The king has taken a personal interest in that horse. I cannot permit you to leave with it.' Without warning, a spell flew in Merlin's direction. Instantly, he was unable to move.

'You think I did not recognise you as one of the party from Camelot?' the guard sneered. 'I don't know how you escaped, but there will be glory in returning you to the king.'

Merlin thought hard. He was, for the moment, completely at the mercy of the palace guard, but the spell was not an especially strong one. If he fought it, perhaps he could gain enough control of his lips to be able to counter it. Using all the strength he possessed, Merlin forced his lips to move. After what seemed like minutes, he was free. Not willing to be caught out a second time, the warlock quickly recounted the words to a paralysing spell of his own and the guard was stunned to find that he had now become the victim of his own tactics.

Merlin quickly climbed onto the horse. The spell would be effective for some time but he wanted to put all the distance he could between Arthur and the castle before their escape was noticed. Kicking the horse into a canter, he was soon back in the clearing where he had left Arthur. Thankfully, the prince had once again slipped into unconsciousness. Having no time to waste, Merlin picked up the older man and slung him unceremoniously across the saddle of the horse. Climbing up behind Arthur, Merlin headed for Camelot at as fast a pace as the horse would carry them.

---

Gwen felt her eyes close and once again willed herself not to fall asleep. Exhausted though she was, she needed to stay awake. Morgana hadn't reappeared since she had left to speak with the king. Gwen could hear the preparations continuing outside in the courtyard. It was obvious that whatever Morgana had said was having no effect whatsoever. If the Lady's failure to return was anything to go by, Morgana was presumably being punished for her insolence and had been confined to her rooms. Gwen had no time to worry about that now – it was all she could do to stop Gaius' fever from getting even more out of control.

As she focused on the noises around her, the sounds from the courtyard gradually increased in volume. The castle gates were opening and hundreds of soldiers were marching forth from the castle, their footfall deafeningly loud in the peaceful enclosure. As the sounds gradually faded away, Gwen became of a noise that had not been there earlier. The sound of Gaius' painful, laboured breathing now filled the air where there had been silence before. The physician's condition was deteriorating even further. If she had to guess, she would say he'd be dead in a matter of hours. Not for the first time, she wished that Merlin hadn't left her with this responsibility.

'Merlin, please come back,' she pleaded to the empty room as she clung desperately to the physician's hand, as though she could compel him to survive by sheer force of will. 'Everything always ends up being all right when you're around.' Lowering her head to lay it across her arm, she began to sob.


	6. Chapter 6

Author's note: Thanks again for the fantastic feedback. Apologies for the delay in getting the next chapter out – I moved house on Monday and should be getting an internet connection tomorrow so I'll be all out of excuses and should be able to get lots of writing done now. Thanks for staying with the story and enjoy the instalment. :)

---

Merlin carefully reined in the horse and brought her to a stop. He swiftly dismounted then lifted Arthur's still form down from the saddle and lowered his friend to the ground. They had now been travelling for nearly four hours and the prince had spent very little of their journey conscious. Merlin had allowed the horse a five minute rest period every hour but had otherwise pushed relentlessly since he had left the castle. They were still within the sphere of influence of the Calderanian empire and Merlin wanted to get away from the area before anything else could go wrong. During every rest break, Merlin had cast yet another healing spell on the unconscious prince, and hoped that the magic was at least relieving the pain a little. This occasion was no different. This time, however, as Merlin recited the spell, a voice sounded from behind him.

'Ah, so it is you who is the warlock. It had been rumoured that the young Pendragon exhibited the talent. Well, well; this explains much. Let us see how you hold up against a real sorcerer.' Merlin spun around to face the speaker, a man, perhaps forty years old, sporting a long dark robe and carrying a bejewelled staff. He took a step closer to the speaker so that they were only two or three feet apart and sighed.

'Look, I really don't have time for this right now,' he began, 'so if you don't mind, I'll be on my way. I promise if I ever have a deep desire to experience pain, you'll be the first to know.'

'Amusing,' the figure continued undeterred, 'but you shall not be allowed to return the young prince to Camelot. He must die in this forest and now you must die with him.' Merlin sighed again and shook his head.

'So melodramatic,' he criticised. Without warning, his fist came up and squarely impacted on the sorcerer's jaw. A brief look of surprise registered on the man's features before he slumped to the floor. For a moment, Merlin stood in shock, but the throbbing sensation in his hand soon brought him back to reality.

'Owwww!' he cried. 'Why do people do that?' Wincing in pain, he lifted Arthur back onto the horse, climbed into the saddle and continued his journey.

---

'This is ridiculous,' Morgana complained again. 'You're being ridiculous,' she clarified. 'You're Uther Pendragon, the great warrior king and defender of the realm. Why are you being so defeatist? There's some madman up there sending your armies to war with Mercia and you're sitting here sulking like a spoiled child.'

'Morgana, I'm in a locked cell and I've barely eaten in the last five days. What do you expect me to do? Smash down the walls, pick up my sword and charge them all down?' Morgana was thoughtful for a moment.

'Barely eaten?'

'They brought a piece of bread and a jug of water last night. The same the two nights before that. Hardly enough to survive on, let alone fight.'

'But they came, and you didn't try to escape,' the woman clarified.

'They held me at sword point,' the king argued, 'two of them. Without a weapon, I'd have no chance of achieving anything but getting myself killed.'

'Ah, but it wouldn't be chivalrous to hold a lady at sword point, now would it?' Morgana grinned. 'Sometimes the simple plans are the ones that work.'

---

Merlin was more exhausted than he ever remembered feeling before. He had been riding for almost eleven hours but finally Camelot was in sight. As he rode closer, however, he noticed that the castle was uncharacteristically quiet. Everyday life was still going on in the town but there was not a guard to be seen and even the entrance to the castle was unguarded. Quickly stabling Arthur's horse, Merlin carried the unconscious man to Gaius' chambers. No sooner had he lowered the prince's still form into the physician's armchair than he was accosted from behind.

Gwen had started awake when Merlin had entered the room. At first she had imagined she might be dreaming but after a few moments, she was willing to accept the evidence of her eyes. Pushing herself out of her chair, she flung herself at the young man, unable to stop the tears that were streaming down her face.

'Merlin, thank God you're here,' she began, 'I've done everything I can think of and nothing worked and I think he's dying and I can't…oh my word what happened to Arthur?' Gwen had finally registered the unconscious form in the chair.

Merlin let out a deep breath and wrapped his arms around the maidservant. Exhausted though he was, one look at his friend's tear-stained face told him he didn't know the meaning of the word. The mere fact that Gwen unashamedly had her arms around him told Merlin everything he needed to know about how close she was to the limits of her endurance. He tightened his grip slightly.

'Gwen,' he informed her gently, 'you need to get some sleep.'

'I can't,' she answered immediately. 'Didn't you hear what I said? Gaius is dying. Now Arthur's hurt too, how can I possibly…'

'Gwen, I'll take care of it,' Merlin spoke with far more certainty than he actually felt. 'There's nothing you can do here right now. I need Gaius to help Arthur and I'm as qualified to take care of both of them as you are so go home, get some sleep and I'll deal with this somehow.'

'Merlin…'

'Gwen, this is my responsibility,' he reassured her, 'and I should never have passed it on to you in the first place. I _can_ do this,' he stated, as much to convince himself as his friend. 'Go.' Finally Gwen nodded and left to return to her home and her father. Merlin turned his attention to the figure on the bed, shocked by how much Gaius had deteriorated in such a short time. He took the physician's hand in his and placed his free hand on the old man's face.

'Gaius,' he whispered to his unconscious friend, 'I need your help. You were right. Arthur was in danger and I failed to protect him. Please, Gaius. Wake up. I need you.' There was no response from the physician. Sighing, Merlin pushed aside his tiredness and forced himself to focus on Gaius. Just as he was about to give up, he became aware of his friend's presence. The man's life force was now so weak that it was a miracle he had found it at all. Reaching out quickly, before he lost his friend for good, Merlin once again found himself inside his friend's mind.

Merlin glanced around, unsurprised to once again find himself in the store room that represented Gaius' place of safety against the intruder who would destroy his mind. This time, however, the scene was quite different. The door to the chamber was flung wide open and a stunning, dark-haired woman in a magnificent bejewelled peacock blue robe had hold of the physician's throat. The older man was pushed up against the wall and his face had turned a deep shade of purple.

'Not so defiant now, are you, old man?' the woman was saying. 'You put up a good fight but your time is at and end – I may not have forced you to talk, but I will still destroy you. Nothing and nobody can save you now. It's time for you to die.'

'Erm, excuse me?' Merlin ventured. The woman whirled to face him, releasing Gaius as she did so. The older man fell to the floor, gasping for breath. Painfully, he struggled to his feet.

'You dare interrupt me, weak spawn of Camelot?' the sorceress fumed. 'You will die for your insolence!'

'Ariana, I presume?' Merlin continued unfazed. 'I'd like you to leave now. In fact, I insist upon it.' The woman shot Merlin a look of disdain before returning her attention to Gaius, her palm forcefully impacting his temple. The elderly man dropped like a stone.

Merlin felt a rage rise up inside him the likes of which he had never experienced. '_He's not dead,_' he told himself. '_If he were dead, I wouldn't still be inside his mind._' The warlock forced his breathing under control but was unable to quell the sensation of rage he felt whenever he looked at the sorceress. His eyes flashed red and when he finally spoke, he didn't recognise either the words or the deep, powerful sound as his own.

'You would dare touch what belongs to me?' the voice appeared to bypass his throat completely. 'You can have no idea of the consequences of your actions. This man and this land are under my protection. You will depart or I will destroy you.'

Merlin tried not to look shocked at his actions. Gaius had said that this woman was a powerful sorceress and he had…Gaius. The physician hadn't moved at all throughout the exchange.' With that thought, renewed rage swept through him and he raised his eyes to meet Ariana's. As she swung for him, he swiftly sidestepped and got in a punch of his own, grateful that only mental agility rather than physical combat skill was required in this case. Merlin's skill increased as his rage grew and soon he had gained the advantage over the more experienced sorceress. As they continued to fight, realisation dawned on Merlin. This was entirely a fight of the mind, and that was something he could do without even trying. As Ariana leapt desperately, clawing at his eyes, Merlin stood his ground. Rather than making contact as she had expected, the sorceress impacted on an invisible wall inches from the young man's face and she fell to the ground, stunned. Using only his fingertips, Merlin reached out and lifted the woman into the air. She glared defiantly but was powerless to improve her situation.

'I asked you to leave,' Merlin reminded her. 'If I have to ask you again, I won't be so polite about it.' Ariana's eyes met his and he could see the surrender within them. Still glaring at her adversary, she released the physician's mind and faded away. Merlin let out the breath he hadn't realised he was holding. 'That was close,' he admitted, 'ten more minutes and she'd have killed you. I'd never have been able to live with myself.'

Eliciting no response from behind, he turned to look at his friend. Gaius remained still and unmoving where he had landed after Ariana's last blow.

'Gaius?' Merlin called, making his way across the room to his friend, 'I know you're alive – we're still inside your head.' There was no reaction from the physician. Ariana's last attack had evidently caused him to fall into some kind of coma, unaware even of what was going on within his own mind. If Merlin left without doing something, Gaius' mind could be lost forever. Merlin sat down on the cold floor and cradled the older man in his arms, desperately willing him to show any sign of awareness.

'Gaius, please,' he begged, 'If you can hear me, give me a sign, anything. I've screwed all this up and I need your help to fix it. If you don't wake up now, it's not just you who's going to die. Gaius, talk to me!' The older man remained stubbornly silent. Not knowing what else to do, Merlin rested the physician's head on his left shoulder, held him tightly and prayed.


	7. Chapter 7

Author's note: As promised, here's the next instalment, just one day after the last. Apologies for the first scene – I'm not sure what came over me. :) Feedback as always has been, is and will be much appreciated.

---

'Morgana, this isn't exactly what I had in mind,' Uther complained.

'What, you thought that the obvious 'you stand behind the door and hit them over the head while they're looking at me' plan actually had a shot at working?' the young woman criticised. '_come on_ Uther, even they're not that stupid.'

'You're probably right,' the king conceded, 'but this…'

'Let's put it this way,' Morgana grinned, 'we'll definitely get them with the shock factor and they're less likely to expect me hitting them over the head, if they remember I'm here at all.' Uther sighed in resignation.

'All right, but if you tell anyone about this…'

'My lips are sealed,' the young woman smirked, 'you're just lucky I chose the stretchy fabric. Shhh, they're coming.' She ducked behind the door as the guards approached.

As the first guard entered the cell, sword forward, his jaw dropped at the sight of the king. As he continued to stare, his sword fell slightly. This was all the opportunity Uther needed. Deftly sidestepping the weapon, he took hold of the guard's sword hand with his left and punched the man repeatedly with his right fist until the man slumped to the ground. Meanwhile, Morgana had stepped out from behind the door and hit the second guard full force in the face with the only weapon she had to hand – the water jug. The jug shattered and the guard stopped, stunned. By the time he had recovered sufficiently to realise he was in danger, it was too late. Uther had hold of the first guard's sword and skilfully dispatched both guards in seconds.

'Well, I think we can consider that a success,' Morgana decided. She grinned. 'Can I have my clothes back now please? And unless you want me to tell Arthur that you wear women's clothing, you'd better get me a new dress made to replace the one you've just ruined.'

---

'Ok,' Merlin muttered to himself. 'this isn't working. Think, Merlin. You're in Gaius' mind but there must be a deeper layer. If you can't reach Gaius in his conscious mind, you're going to have to enter his subconscious. Focus, Merlin, you can do this.' The warlock continued to mutter to himself as he thought through the idea. Gaius couldn't be aware of nothing. Somewhere in the tangle of neurons that was his brain, the real Gaius must be hiding, or maybe he was trapped. All Merlin had to do was find a way to reach him and persuade him to come back. He was already within the physician's mind. Perhaps if he focused further… He tentatively reached out with his mind but immediately felt a weak force pushing back. Wherever Gaius was, he evidently didn't want Merlin to join him. Well, Merlin may be more than willing to respect his mentor's privacy under ordinary circumstances but not at the cost of his life. When he reached out for a second time he pushed back against the force that repelled him.

'You have to leave, now!' Gaius' voice greeted Merlin. 'You shouldn't be here,' the older man added unnecessarily. Merlin looked around, shocked at the scene before him. The older man was chained upright against a wall. In the dungeon surrounding him were dozens of corpses, many charred beyond recognition.

'What is this place?' Merlin asked in horror.

'Nothing you need to know about,' Gaius insisted, 'you need to leave, the older man reiterated.

'Not without you,' Merlin insisted. 'I need you back in the real world, not trapped in some kind of hideous hallucination.'

'Not an hallucination,' the physician responded quietly. 'A memory. I deserve to be here and you need to leave.'

'Deserve to be here?' the warlock responded, appalled. 'I know you, Gaius, and there's no way on Earth you could be responsible for this.'

'But I am,' Gaius answered softly. 'Oh, I didn't kill them,' he continued at Merlin's stunned look, 'but I let Uther do this. The corpses you see were all the result of the king's great purge of Camelot and I stood back and did nothing. Allowed myself to be spared. I swore allegiance to the man responsible for destroying my people.'

'Why?'

'In a way, Uther was right. Many of our people were intoxicated by the power magic held for them. They were not like you – they used magic only for evil and out of self-interest. When Uther declared war on those who would use magic, he did so with good cause. One such group was responsible for the death of his wife and would have killed both Uther and Arthur had I not intervened. My intervention that day bought me my freedom but cost many innocent people their lives. Those who were not killed were banished from Camelot and told never to return. I alone was permitted to stay. When some who had escaped sought me out and chained me here with the people for whose death I had been responsible, it was no more than I deserved.'

'What could you have done?' Merlin demanded. 'You were just one man.'

'Uther would not be reasoned with and I had made a promise to forswear all magic; a promise I have broken just once – to save your life when you were poisoned with the morteus flower. To my shame I did not intervene. I treated the burns of those who survived but I did not fight for their cause. My mind has brought me here for a reason and I must remain and atone.' Merlin stared in disbelief at the older man.

'With respect,' he began, 'that is the biggest load of rubbish I have ever heard. Your mind brought you here to torture you because you still feel guilty about something you should have done differently twenty years ago. Staying here will achieve absolutely nothing. In fact, if you do stay here, there'll be even more blood on your hands. Arthur is out there dying and you're the only one who can save him. The real shame would be in a man who dwells in the past when he could be making a real tangible difference to the present. The past is over, you did what you did and there's nothing you can do to change that. Stop wallowing in self pity, get back out there and help me save Arthur's life. If you won't help me now, you're not the man I thought you were.' The physician looked as though he had been slapped in the face. He stared at his protégé for what seemed like a long time but must only have been a few seconds. Finally he nodded.

'You're right, of course. Forgive an old man his stupidity. We must leave immediately if we are to help Arthur in time.' As his eyes met Merlin's the shackles fell away from his wrists and ankles and he placed a hand on the younger man's shoulder. 'Thank you for returning for me and for showing me the error of my ways.' Within a few moments, the connection was broken and Merlin opened his eyes to find himself once again in Gaius' chambers. He breathed deeply and fixed his eyes on the older man's face. After a few minutes the physician's eyelids began to flutter.

---

'It's all stretched out of shape – you've ruined it!' Morgana was complaining as they made their way through the castle.

'Morgana do shut up about your dress,' the king ordered, 'and focus for a moment on regaining control of Camelot. The entire army and all the guards have clearly departed and there's no point in heading up to the great hall and having ourselves captured again. We need reinforcements and we need a safe place to make plans.'

'Gaius' chambers,' Morgana suggested immediately. 'When I left Gwen was with him and now the guards are gone, they may be the only two people left in the castle we can trust. As for reinforcements, if Arthur and Merlin have returned, that's the most likely place we'll find either of them.'

'Very well,' the king agreed. The two began to make their way towards the physician's rooms.

---

'Gaius, thank God,' Merlin exclaimed in relief. 'For a minute there I didn't know whether you were strong enough to follow me back.' Their eyes met and the physician let out a weak, shaky breath. He opened his mouth but soon found that he lacked the strength to speak.

'You've had a fever for days,' the warlock informed him. 'It's a miracle you survived as long as you did. I know you don't like me doing this but I have to heal you. Arthur doesn't have much time left.' The older man nodded slightly in agreement and Merlin once again cast the healing spell he had used so many times over the past twenty-four hours.

The healing power swept through Gaius' body and he felt the weakness draining away. Soon he felt better than he had even before he had come under attack.

'Help me up,' he requested of the younger man. Merlin held out his hand, wincing as the physician's fingers wrapped around his own. 'What happened to your hand?' Gaius demanded. Merlin glanced down and realised that his knuckles were a swollen purple colour.

'Nothing,' he muttered, embarrassed. 'We need to help Arthur.'

'Very well,' Gaius replied, standing and quickly replacing his sweat-soaked blankets with some clean ones from a nearby chest. 'Help me get him onto the bed,' he ordered, 'and then you'd better tell me about this sword.'

As the pair lowered the prince onto the bed, the door opened and Uther and Morgana entered.

'Arthur!' Morgana cried at once. 'What happened?'

'It seems he was cut by the blade of a sword tipped with poison, my lady,' Gaius explained, 'Merlin was able to return him to me. I promise I will do everything in my power to restore him to health.'

'You're looking much better yourself,' Morgana commented. 'I must confess I had my doubts that you would recover.'

'As did I, my lady,' Gaius admitted, 'but that is past now and I must focus on helping prince Arthur. We need to identify the poison that is affecting him.'

Uther had remained silent throughout the exchange. Instead of involving himself in conversation he simply stared in shock at the still form of his son.

'Arthur,' he finally whispered. Gaius gently took hold of his shoulders.

'Sire,' the physician began, 'I swear to you I will do everything I can to cure him, but if I may be so bold, your son is not the only one who requires your attention. Your kingdom is in great peril and unless you act now, Camelot will be lost.' The king looked up at the old man in incomprehension.

'You have to ride out and recall the army before they reach Mercia,' Morgana explained.

'But Arthur…'

'Is in good hands, Sire,' the physician reassured him. 'The best thing you can do for your son is to ensure he has a kingdom to wake up to.' Uther looked like he was about to argue but finally gave in.

'I shall ride out directly,' the king decided. 'Gaius?' he asked hesitantly. 'Arthur, he's… if…'

'I know, sire,' Gaius responded.

With a final nod, the king departed.


	8. Chapter 8

Author's note: Thanks again for the fantastic feedback. Please keep it up. I have a vague idea where this story is headed by my muse also relies on your comments for inspiration. :) Glad people liked the dress scene – I honestly don't know what I was thinking when I came up with that. Hope you enjoy this new instalment. :-D

---

'Merlin, you must describe the sword that Arthur was cut with,' Gaius informed him, desperately trying to ignore Morgana, who was pacing the length of the chambers.

'Well, it was big and silver,' the warlock responded uncertainly. 'I'm finding it difficult to think.' His eyes were once again drawn to the moving figure. Gaius sighed.

'My lady,' the physician began. 'I know you are worried about Prince Arthur but in order to help him I need to focus Merlin's thoughts…'

'I'm distracting him, aren't I?' the young woman understood immediately. 'I'm sorry, I'm just so fed up with feeling helpless. Spending all that time in the cell and now this. I need to find something to do. I'll leave you alone to work but please send someone to find me if there's any change. I'm going to find out what's happening in the great hall.'

'Morgana, be careful. These are dangerous people,' Gaius cautioned her as she left. Finally, he turned his attention back to the warlock. 'The sword, Merlin?' he asked.

'I don't know. Arthur was fighting the knight and I was concentrating on maintaining the shield. I was focusing on Arthur. With my help he was winning, then suddenly the sword caught his arm. It was as though he was paralysed but he wasn't numb. He was in pain. In agony. I could see it in his face.' Merlin glanced guiltily across at the pale figure lying on the bed. 'The knight though, he looked shocked. From what I overheard, I think he expected the cut to kill Arthur straight away. I was shielding him from the magic and my healing spells haven't worked so whatever's hurting him must be some kind of poison.'

'Or some magic you didn't know to shield against,' Gaius muttered. 'There is a legend. Many centuries ago a sword was forged with the power to cause instant death to anyone who was cut by it. The metal was forged with magic and with death. Into the fabric of the sword itself were woven poisons so deadly that even a cut to the finger would cause an agonising death. When the forging process was complete, the most powerful sorcerers of the time cast their spells on it in turn. Each enchantment in isolation was powerful enough to kill. The combinations of the poisons and enchantments were enough to ensure instant death, but even that was not enough for the man who commissioned it. The sword held a power that makes even death appealing in comparison.'

'How could anything be worse than death?' Merlin asked incredulously.

'You are young,' Gaius reminded him, 'and have not yet realised that there are many things worse than death. This sword of legend has the power to literally tear a man's soul in half, a power born neither from magic nor from science but out of the fabric of the universe itself. As the sword makes contact, a split is created in the victim's soul. At the point of death, the two halves of the soul are condemned to roam the world in an endless search for one another.'

'And you think this has happened to Arthur?' Merlin asked. 'If it has, my failure is greater than I could ever have imagined. If Arthur's soul has been torn in half, then he's already gone.'

Gaius took a seat next to his protégé and reassuringly wrapped his arm around the young man's shoulders.

'What you have achieved,' he assured the warlock, 'is remarkable. It took great strength and skill to protect Arthur as well as you have. Without you he would undoubtedly be dead already. You protected the prince from the sword's enchantments and brought him back to me. With a little research, I should be able to deal with the poison. As well as all that, you managed to come back and save me. Your achievements are astonishing.' Far from looking reassured, the Warlock looked even more guilty.

'When I was inside your head,' he began, 'something happened. When Ariana hit you I got angry. Unbelievably angry. I've never experienced anything like it before, but the angrier I got, the more powerful I got and the more out of control I felt. The things I said; the things I did. It was like none of it was me any more.'

'Tell me something,' Gaius said, smiling slightly. 'Would you ever tell King Uther that he was a cowardly imbecile with a fear of anything he couldn't understand?'

'Of course not!' Merlin replied in horror.

'But you might think it?' the physician prompted.

'Well, maybe sometimes.'

'And that's the difference. Inside your mind, or anyone else's, your actions are controlled by thought and emotion alone. When magic comes into the equation, it becomes even more complicated. Magic is a powerful force but if you're not careful, it controls you where you should really be controlling it. Magic is fundamentally intertwined with emotion – the more powerful your emotions, the more powerful the magic. You've never learned to control your thoughts and emotions, only the way that you might express them. As controlling your thoughts is more difficult than controlling your actions, so maintaining control of your magical powers is more difficult in an environment controlled only by your mind. What you experienced is what happens when you allow the magic to overwhelm you.'

'Even so, what I said to you…'

'Was entirely accurate and as such doesn't even warrant forgiveness.' Merlin heaved a sigh of relief.

'I thought it was something else. I thought the power had gone to my head. I thought…'

'You thought you were practising dark magic,' Gaius finished for him. 'As I told you earlier, you are not like the others, the ones Uther condemned. You have greater power than any of them, yet you have a humility and a concern for others that ensures that you will never end up like them. You must, however, endeavour to control both your thoughts and emotions. Only then will you have complete command of the magic flowing through you.'

'What about Arthur?' Merlin asked. What will happen to his soul if he doesn't die?

'I cannot be sure,' Gaius responded, 'for nobody has ever survived this long before, but I suspect that the weaker half of the prince's soul will be irreversibly suppressed or lost, as it will no longer be connected to its twin. When Arthur returns, he won't be the same man he used to be.'

'I can't accept that,' Merlin objected at once. 'We need to repair his soul.'

'And how exactly do you propose to do that?' the physician demanded in frustration. 'Such a feat has to my knowledge never been achieved before.'

'I'll find a way,' Merlin assured his friend. 'What other choice do I have?'

---

Morgana crept quietly up the stairs of the castle, taking care not to be seen. She may have escaped these people once already but she wasn't keen on giving them a second opportunity to detain her. If she was passing her chambers on the way, however, she might as well take the opportunity to change her dress. Uther really had ruined it. As she closed her room door behind her, she was surprised at the scene that met her eyes. Gwen was curled up at the edge of Morgana's bed, clearly fast asleep but with tears streaming down her face. Morgana quickly slipped into the first dress she could find then sat down on the bed next to her maidservant.

'Gwen?' she asked softly. 'Gwen, wake up. What's wrong?' The maidservant started awake, confusion playing across her features. After a few moments, comprehension dawned. She glanced down at the bed then back up at her mistress looking mortified.

'My lady,' she began, 'I am so sorry. Merlin sent me to get some sleep but since you hadn't come back to Gaius' chambers I thought the king might have confined you to your rooms. When you weren't here I sat down to wait and I guess I must have fallen asleep. I am so sorry,' she repeated, scrubbing the tears away from her eyes. 'What must you think of me?'

'Gwen,' Morgana tried to sound reassuring. 'Calm down. I didn't wake you up to yell at you. I asked you what was wrong.' She wrapped her arms around the distraught servant, who continued to cry onto her shoulder.'

'Where do I start?' the young woman sobbed. 'You were missing, Gaius is dying, Prince Arthur's unconscious, the King's gone mad, Camelot will be at war in a matter of days and there's nothing I can do about any of it. Merlin wouldn't even let me stay and help; I thought he trusted me.'

'Oh Gwen,' Morgana shook her head fondly, 'of course Merlin trusts you, but he was right. You're too exhausted to think straight. You need to sleep. Perhaps you'll rest easier if you know our problems aren't quite as bad as you think. It can't have escaped your attention that I am no longer missing but there are a few more things you need to know. First of all, Gaius is doing much better.'

'You're sure?' Gwen was incredulous. 'When I left his chambers earlier he could barely breathe. I didn't expect him to survive another hour.'

'Then his recovery has been truly miraculous,' Morgana responded, surprised by the news. She hadn't understood quite how close the physician had come to death. 'He kicked me out of his chambers not ten minutes ago. He and Merlin are trying to put together enough information to find an antidote to Arthur's poison. That's not all. Uther hasn't gone mad. It's a long story but what you need to know right now is that he's ridden out to recall the armies. With any luck, there will be no war. Everything's under control. Now you go back to sleep and I'm going to find out what the Calderanians are up to in the great hall.'

'The Calderanians?' Gwen suddenly understood. '_They're_ responsible for all this?' Morgana nodded. 'Then what you're doing is dangerous. I can't let you go alone.'

'Gwen, I'll be fine,' Morgana objected. 'You're exhausted. Stay here, I won't be long.'

'No,' the maidservant was adamant. 'If you're going up there, I'm coming too.' Looking into the young woman's eyes, Morgana knew there was no way Gwen was about to be dissuaded.

'All right,' she agreed, 'but be careful.'

'Let's both be careful,' Gwen suggested as she followed her mistress into the stairway.

---

'Here we go,' Gaius announced, indicating a point half way down the page of the book he was holding. 'The sword of Eramnath. Does this look like the one you saw?' Merlin closed his eyes, delving into his memory of the sword crashing down on Arthur's shield. After a few moments, his eyes popped open.

'That's it,' he replied excitedly. Gaius ran his finger down the list of poisons.

'None of these should pose a particular problem,' the physician concluded. 'Fortunately current medicine is far more advanced than it was when the sword was forged. Antidotes have since been discovered to all of these toxins and I have all the ingredients to make them. I should have something ready in a couple of hours.' Merlin smiled, relieved.

'That gives me two hours to figure out a way of joining Arthur's soul back together. No pressure, huh?' he joked. Gaius looked up solemnly, locking his eyes with those of his friend.

'You're determined to do this, aren't you?' At Merlin's nod, he continued. 'There may be a way.'

'I thought you said nobody had ever done it!' Merlin challenged.

'I may have deceived you slightly,' Gaius admitted. 'It has been tried many times. On one occasion, it was even done successfully.'

'But..?' Merlin queried. He knew Gaius wouldn't be so hesitant in making this suggestion unless there was a good reason he shouldn't attempt it.

'The process requires powerful magic and complete emotional control. It requires that the mage uses his own essence as a conduit to force the two halves of the patient's soul together. It can only be carried out when the patient is unconscious and even then the chances of success are exceedingly small. One stray thought and both the mage's and the patient's lives are put in danger. In the one case I mentioned where a soul was rejoined successfully, the mage's mind was damaged so badly that he did not survive.' Merlin sighed deeply.

'But it's Arthur's only chance?' he asked. Gaius nodded.

'I was hesitant to suggest it at all, but I have come to understand that this must be your decision, not mine. Important as you are to me, I have concluded that if it is your choice to risk your life for Arthur's, I must assist in any way possible. If you are to attempt such a feat, you have a better chance of succeeding with my help than without it.' Merlin smiled gratefully at the physician, took a deep breath and nodded.

'Ok,' he decided. 'Tell me what I have to do.'


	9. Chapter 9

Author's Note: Thanks again to everyone for such detailed feedback. It really has given me lots of ideas I wouldn't have had otherwise. This chapter is quite a short one but I feel obliged to apologise to any native Welsh speakers for the blatant mangling of your language, both in this chapter and in at least one to come. I blame the online translator. :D. I hope you enjoy this next instalment. As always, feedback is much appreciated.

---

'Shhh,' Morgana cautioned as they approached the door leading to the great hall. 'Can you hear anything?' Gwen shook her head.

'Maybe they're asleep?' she suggested. 'It is the middle of the night, after all.' This time it was Morgana's turn to shake her had.

'They'd have posted a guard. They may have sent the entire army away but the castle's still full of servants and there are always townspeople walking in and out with supplies. They wouldn't put themselves at risk like that. We need to get closer.'

Silently the pair crept up the steps to the main door and listened again.

'I still can't hear anything,' Gwen concluded.

'Shhh!' Morgana whispered. She pressed her ear against the door. Before she knew what was happening, she was falling into the hall itself.

'Morgana!' Gwen shrieked instinctively, following her mistress into the room. 'Are you all right?'

Morgana remained where she had landed for a few moments awaiting the Calderanians' retribution. She had already escaped from them once and two Calderanian guards had been killed in the process. This time there wouldn't be any preferential treatment – she would probably be killed. When nothing happened, she lifted her head and looked around, her eyes widening in surprise.

'There's nobody here!' she exclaimed, pulling herself to her feet. 'Why would they have gone?' Looking around, she noticed the remains of a feast spread across the table.

'Wherever they've gone, they've not been gone long,' Gwen concluded, picking up a piece of chicken. 'This is still warm.'

'But why would they leave at all?' Morgana demanded, 'unless…'

'…they'd already achieved what they came for,' her maidservant stated, 'and they've gone to report their success.'

'But what were they trying to achieve?' Morgana wondered. 'As far as they're concerned, Uther and I are locked in the dungeons and Arthur is probably dead. Despite that, they haven't made any effort to speak to the townspeople. It's as though they don't want anyone to know that anything's going on at all. If they wanted Camelot to descend into chaos, they're going the wrong way about it.'

'What if they don't want Camelot to descend into chaos?' Gwen suggested. 'What if they don't want anyone to know they've been here for the same reason they needed to get rid of Camelot's armies? What if they left to report to someone – someone who's on their way here?'

'No!' Morgana exclaimed. 'They can't! We can't let them! We have to do something! They're not trying to cause Camelot to descend into chaos – they're trying to annex it!'

---

'Here it is,' Gaius informed Merlin, 'the spell you will need to heal Arthur's soul. You must be in physical contact when you speak the first line; that should allow you to form a mental link with Arthur. The second line must be spoken only when your mind is in contact with both halves of Arthur's soul.'

'That's it?' Merlin asked in bafflement. 'Two lines?'

'Far from it,' Gaius chastised him immediately. 'That is merely the spell that you must use when you have achieved your objective. Your true task will be to find and rejoin the two halves of Arthur's soul. The prince is in great pain and his mind will be chaotic as a result. Nonetheless, you must maintain a tight control on your emotions. If you allow yourself to stray from your objective, your mind may be irrevocably lost. Heed my words. Do not allow yourself to be distracted and remain focused on your goal at all times. Both Arthur's life and yours may depend on it.' Merlin nodded.

'I understand.'

'Be sure that you do,' Gaius warned. 'I have to remind you that this procedure has never been a complete success. It is already extremely unlikely that either you or Arthur will survive.'

'There's a first time for everything, right?' Merlin smiled hesitantly. He stood and made his way to where Gaius was sitting. The older man clasped his shoulders tightly. 'Gaius…' he began. He could have sworn that there were tears in the physician's eyes as he responded.

'I know.' The elderly man pulled the warlock into a hug, which Merlin returned.

'Thank you,' he whispered, 'for everything.' Gaius nodded.

'I'm proud of you,' he informed the younger man. After a few minutes, Merlin pulled away. Walking over to Arthur, he pulled the prince into a sitting position and wrapped his arms around his friend's shoulders.

'Here goes nothing,' he muttered shakily. Forcing himself to focus, he opened his mouth to speak again. 'Gadawch fy gwyliwch bod fel ag hun eiddo,' he proclaimed loudly. Immediately, the lights of Gaius' chambers began to fade away.

---

Merlin opened his eyes to see an almost exact replica of Camelot, but with a few important exceptions. Where the real Camelot was strong and peaceful, this Camelot was literally crumbling and alive with screams of pain that seemed to be emanating from the castle itself. As Merlin continued to watch, a huge chunk fell from the nearest tower and missed him by inches. Suppressing the fear that welled up inside him, he stepped forward. He had to find Arthur. He couldn't let the prince down by getting emotional now. Slowly, he walked into the courtyard. As he did so, a voice sounded from behind him.

'Merlin? Help me.' Merlin spun around to face the speaker. It was Arthur, except that it wasn't. The prince's voice was dull and monotone, his face gaunt and his pallor grey. This figure was merely a shadow of the man Merlin considered a friend. The warlock fought down a feeling of horror at his master's appearance. He had to stay in control.

'Arthur,' he began, 'everything's going to be fine, but you need to come with me.' The prince remained rooted to the spot, his eyes fixed on the entrance to the upper town.

'No,' he responded in the same monotone, lifeless voice. While the entity in front of him was undoubtedly Arthur, Merlin could sense none of the passion and vibrancy that normally defined the prince. Even had the warlock not known his friend's soul had been torn apart, he would have noticed the glaring absence of something vital. The man he was speaking to may hold Arthur's knowledge, but the prince's heart and spirit were clearly elsewhere.

'Arthur, we need to go.'

'We need to save Camelot,' Arthur countered. Merlin sighed. Gaius had warned him not to get distracted. Looking at the prince, he realised that might not be quite as easy as it sounded.

'I came here to save you,' he explained patiently, refusing to lose focus. 'We need to find the other half of your soul. Camelot can wait.'

'No,' the prince responded again flatly. Merlin fought down the frustration rising within him. '_I must maintain total control over my emotions,'_ he told himself. _'Arthur's life may depend on it.'_ Forcing his voice to remain even, he continued.

'Arthur, come with me, please?'

'No.'

'Arthur,' he tried one last time. 'If you do not allow me to help you we are both going to die. Is that what you want?'

'We need to save Camelot,' the prince repeated again. Merlin held up his hands in surrender.

'All right, you wait here,' he decided. 'I'm going to find the other half of your soul. With any luck he'll be a bit less stubborn.'

Merlin crossed the courtyard and entered the castle. If he couldn't finish this now, everything he had achieved over the last several months would have been for nothing. He couldn't allow Arthur to be lost through sheer stubbornness. 'What is Arthur passionate about?' he asked himself as he searched first the rooms of the castle then the stables and the outbuildings. Finally he made his way through the town. By now he had covered all Arthur's favourite haunts but the second half of the prince's soul was nowhere to be found. Some hours later, he finished searching the castle grounds. He was still no closer to solving the puzzle than when he had begun. He had failed. Blinking back the tears he wasn't supposed to be shedding, Merlin offered a silent apology to Gaius and walked dejectedly back to the courtyard.

'Merlin, help me.' Arthur's voice sounded again. The warlock could control himself no longer.

'I've tried to help you,' he stated, 'and I've failed. Whatever it was I'm supposed to achieve here, I can't do it. It's over. It's finished. We lost.'

'We need to save Camelot,' Arthur's voice repeated lifelessly.

Merlin closed his eyes and let out a breath. If he was going to die, he decided, he might as well die doing things his way. As much as he trusted and respected Gaius' opinion, Gaius wasn't here, and Merlin just wasn't cut out for that level of emotional denial. _'What would I do?'_ Merlin asked himself. _'Anything Arthur asked of you,'_ the little voice in his head replied, and it was right. He lifted his head until his eyes were literally staring into Arthur's soul. He nodded.

'All right, Arthur. What do you want me to do?'

---

Uther strained to see the lights in the distance. He had ridden through the night and now, in the early hours of the morning, he had finally caught up with the advancing army. He heaved a sigh of relief. Camelot's forces were still several days' march away from the kingdom of Mercia. The war could almost certainly be avoided. He pulled on his horse's reins and slowed to a trot as he approached the camp. As he had expected, all was quiet. With a silence born from years of practice, he dismounted and tethered his horse.

'And where do you think you're going?' a voice rang out through the darkness. Uther felt cold steel touch his throat and looked down to see a dagger pressed against his neck. Cursing himself for letting his guard down, he spoke in his most commanding tone of voice.

'I am Uther Pendragon, king of Camelot. Lower your weapons,' he ordered. His order did not, however, have the desired effect.

'Of course you are, sire,' a second voice answered out of the darkness. 'Seize him,' the voice instructed.


	10. Chapter 10

Author's Note: Thanks very much for the continued support and apologies for the delay in putting up this chapter. Real life grown-up stuff like shouting at electricity companies appears to have distracted me for a couple of days. Hope it was worth the wait.

---

Merlin continued to stand in the courtyard unnerved by the blank look on his friend's face. If he hadn't known better, he would have thought he was dealing with a simpleton. One thing was certain, he could not allow this Arthur to be the only one who survived. This ghost-being might look like Arthur, but this Arthur was no more capable of ruling Camelot than of turning Morgana into a frog. He sighed and asked the question again.

'Arthur, what is it that you want me to do?'

'We have to…' the price began.

'I know we have to save Camelot,' Merlin responded in frustration, 'but how can we? I mean, look at it!' He gestured around, noting the complete destruction.

'We have to…' Arthur began again. Merlin rolled his eyes. The prince evidently wasn't going to be any help in figuring this out.

'All right,' he sighed. 'Come on.' He grabbed Arthur by the wrist and in the absence of instructions, headed in the direction of the lower town, from where the loudest screaming was emanating. As they approached, he saw the reason why. A large proportion of the town was already on fire and the rest was in grave danger of being incinerated. The townspeople had each grabbed pieces of sacking and were desperately attempting to beat out the fire before it spread any further. Grabbing a blanket and passing one to Arthur, he joined the endeavour.

---

'The gates of the castle are wide open!' Morgana exclaimed in horror. 'If we don't do something the Calderanians will come back and take over the castle while everyone's asleep.' She strode down the stairs and into the servants' quarters, where she proceeded to wake up everyone she could find. 'I want the castle locked down,' she demanded. 'Raise the drawbridge and lock all the exits. I don't want anyone getting in or out.'

'My lady?' One of the older servants stared at her in confusion.

'I have received word that Camelot is about to be attacked,' she lied expertly. 'Since the army of Camelot is already outside the castle, there will be no need for anybody to either enter or leave until the conflict is over.'

'If the army is not here, my lady, how are we to defend ourselves?' one astute servant queried. Morgana thought for a moment. The man was right.

'The king rode out to recall the army earlier today,' she explained, 'but he is not yet aware of the current situation. Before the gates are closed you must saddle a fast horse and take a message to the king. Explain that Camelot is in danger and request that he expedite his return. The rest of you,' she looked around, 'wake up the town and tell everyone to arm themselves with any weapon they can find. We won't fight unless we have to, but the fate of the kingdom may yet depend on us.'

---

'Look, I came here to order you back to Camelot,' Uther shouted to anyone who could hear him. The guards had escorted him to a nearby tent he had been bound and left alone. 'Do you want to go to war?' he demanded. 'Let me speak to Sir Edward.' His demands finally received a response.

'Sir Edward is not here,' the guard replied. 'If you really were the king, you'd know that. Sir Edward is a member of your envoy to Calderania.'

'I didn't send anyone to Calderania,' the king argued, 'and I didn't send anybody to war. This has all been a part of some kind of plot by the enemies of Camelot.' The guard rolled his eyes.

'Of course it has, sire. Sir Thomas took the order directly from you,' he continued.

'Then let me speak to Sir Thomas,' Uther asked desperately as the guard began to walk away. 'Do you really want to be the one responsible for a war that could have been avoided?' The king's final desperate plea struck a chord with the man.

'Very well, I will convey your request to Sir Thomas,' the guard finally agreed, 'but let me warn you now, any man caught impersonating the king will not be granted mercy.'

---

Merlin glanced around at the utter devastation surrounding them then across at the figure of Arthur, who was mechanically beating the sackcloth against the flames. If anything it seemed to Merlin that the prince's form was becoming more indistinct, though he couldn't be sure that the effect wasn't caused by the smoke billowing from much of the town. Looking around, Merlin already knew that they were fighting a lost cause. Even the townspeople had given up and fled from the burning buildings and falling masonry, leaving only Merlin and Arthur to battle the heightening flames. Gaius had been right – this distraction had achieved nothing save to bring both of them closer to death. Whatever Merlin was supposed to be doing, this wasn't it.

The warlock stopped to take a closer look at his friend. The prince was definitely fading – no amount of smoke could be responsible for his current translucent appearance. Merlin considered this for a moment. When Arthur had first been cut, he had been almost coherent. Now, many hours later he was fading away. The effect was clearly greater when the soul had been damaged for some time. Merlin could not help but wonder whether the prince would start to fall apart like his beloved castle. No sooner had the thought entered his head than he stopped, stunned. It couldn't be that simple, could it? It had to be.

'Merlin, you idiot!' he told himself in a tone of voice the warlock normally only heard from Arthur himself. 'How could you not have noticed?' Merlin vaguely recalled asking himself what seemed like hours ago. _'What is Arthur passionate about?'_ How could he have been so blind to the obvious? The warlock mentally cursed himself. If he had taken Gaius' advice and been objective from the beginning, he might have figured this out hours ago.

'That's it. Isn't it?' he asked the pale figure standing beside him. 'This castle, this land, these people. All of it. It's the other half of your soul, isn't it?' Perhaps predictably, the spectre of his friend failed to answer. 'I mean, it's so obvious,' he continued. 'You'd do anything to protect Camelot, even sacrifice your own life. This has to be the answer! Come on!' he finished excitedly, taking hold of the prince's arm and pulling him to the centre of the castle courtyard.

Merlin sat in the centre of the stone courtyard, pulling Arthur down to join him. He kept one hand firmly wrapped around the prince's wrist and placed the other beside him on the stone cobbles. _'This has to work,'_ he told himself.

'Mai beth siwrnai was chrynswth bod asethedig ail,' he shouted. For a moment nothing happened, and he feared he had been wrong after all, then suddenly the torment began. Gaius had told him that he must act as a conduit for the rejoining of Arthur's soul, but what he hadn't expected was the flood of sensations passing through him, like wind through a tunnel. As the absolute agony hit, he realised that it had been the castle itself he had heard screaming. This physical pain, he realised, was the result of the effect that the sword's poison was still having on Arthur's body. Merlin immediately felt both grateful and guilty that it had been the prince, and not he, who had endured this level of pain for the past several hours. After the excruciating wave of agony came a rush of emotions, the intensity of which caused Merlin to worry his head was about to explode. He felt Arthur's passion for life and his absolute devotion to everything he did, he was exposed to the vital energy that defined the prince's actions and he experienced the overwhelming love that Arthur had for his future kingdom, his friends, and his people. When the rush was finally over, Merlin slumped back, eyes closed in exhaustion.

'Gaius, you were so wrong,' he whispered, 'they all were.' Merlin felt with absolute certainty that he knew what had killed the last mage to attempt this, and it was only a matter of good fortune that he had not met his demise in the same way. Merlin was a highly emotional being who felt everything deeply. Even so, the intensity of Arthur's emotions had been almost enough to destroy him. Any man who was controlled and emotionless would be driven insane by the mere thought of that much uncontrolled feeling. Just as Merlin thought he was about to pass out, he heard a weak voice from somewhere beside him.

'Merlin?' The warlock forced himself to open his eyes and sit up. He now appeared to be in a white room, completely empty except for Arthur lying nearby. Reassuringly, the Prince once again appeared whole. More worryingly, he was writhing in agony.

'Arthur,' Merlin answered, firmly grasping his master's hand.

'It hurts so much,' the prince confided. 'I don't think I can take this for much longer.' Merlin tightened his grip.

'We've dealt with everything except the poison,' the warlock informed the older man, 'and Gaius should be able to administer an antidote very soon. You're going to be fine, trust me.'

'Always,' Arthur replied immediately.

Merlin closed his eyes. When he reopened them, he found himself back in Gaius' chambers, still holding the prince tightly.

'Well?' the elderly man demanded.

'I did it,' his protégé grinned. 'Tell bou'' t later,' he slurred, his eyes slipping closed. Gaius smiled. Taking hold of the antidote, he lifted the prince's head slightly and forced the liquid down the young man's throat. His ministrations complete, he turned his attention to the younger man, who was now sleeping soundly. He placed a kiss on Merlin's forehead, his simple gesture expressing the relief he couldn't put into words that the young man had once again survived his adventures unscathed.

---

'Do you have any idea of the penalty for…' Sir Thomas began. His eyes widened as he caught sight of Uther bound and sitting on the floor. 'Sire?'

'Finally!' Uther exclaimed. 'Sir Thomas, if you would be so good as to untie me, I can issue the order to return to Camelot.'

'My Lord, two days ago you ordered me to carry out an invasion. Now you ask me to return home, having done nothing of the sort. Far be it from me to question your logic but…'

'You were deceived,' the king explained. 'I ordered no invasion. The mages of Calderania were responsible for the deception and are threatening Camelot and everything it stands for. You must untie me and we must return immediately to Camelot.

Sir Thomas thought for a moment. He couldn't decide whether the king was being truthful or whether he really had lost his mind. Nevertheless, nobody from Camelot really wanted to start a war and these orders were exactly the excuse he was looking for to avoid it.

'Very well, sire,' he decided, cutting the bonds. 'We will return to Camelot immediately.'

---

There was a knock at the door to Morgana's quarters and one of the young male servants she had addressed earlier entered hesitantly.

'Yes?' Morgana asked.

'My Lady, the castle has been locked down and the people are arming themselves as we speak,' the servant informed her.

'Well done,' Morgana informed the young man. 'I want people posted as lookouts in the four towers,' she demanded. 'Inform me at once if there are any further developments.'

'My Lady, your request was anticipated and lookouts have already been posted,' the servant answered at once. He took a deep breath. 'My Lady I regret to inform you that the further developments you fear have already taken place. A large army has been spotted making its way towards Camelot from the East. We expect the first wave to arrive at dawn.'

---

Author's Note 2: The bonus points go to Morena Evensong for being far more intelligent than Merlin and figuring out what was going to happen in this chapter. I'll send Merlin to ask you for help next time. :D


	11. Chapter 11

Author's Note: Wow! So much fantastic detailed feedback! You guys are great. Makes me feel guilty for making you all wait so long for the next bit. You can blame my brain for that one – stupid thing went to sleep every time I tried to write something. I've finally managed to hammer out the next chapter. Hope it's not too rubbish. :)

---

Arthur drifted, trapped in that warm, fuzzy place just beneath consciousness, whether unable or simply unwilling to wake up, he wasn't sure. For a vague period of time that could have been hours or could have been days, he remembered only pain – the kind of deep, all-consuming pain that resulted in bone-weary exhaustion; evidently what he was experiencing now. There was something else though. Something about Merlin that his over-tired brain couldn't quite grab hold of. It would come to him. Slowly, sensation returned and after noticing a vague feeling of warmth, Arthur became aware of just how much his muscles were going to ache. He groaned. Within seconds a callused but gentle hand was resting on his forehead.

'Your highness?' Gaius' voice was quick to follow his hand. Arthur forced himself to crack open first one eye and then the other and within a few seconds he was able to make out the physician's concerned face. He felt his head being lifted and a few drops of water were poured into his mouth before his head was lowered back onto his surprisingly warm pillow. 'How do you feel?' Gaius wanted to know. Arthur smiled slightly, surprised when even that caused a disproportionate amount of pain. He winced.

'A bit like the way I felt that time Morgana pushed me out of her tree house when I was five, but around fifty times worse,' the prince answered truthfully. The physician winced sympathetically. On that occasion the prince had been unconscious for two days and the bruising had taken weeks to fade.

'If I recall correctly, both you and the Lady Morgana insisted that your fall from that tree house was nothing but a clumsy accident,' the physician pointed out.

'Father was livid – I was afraid he was going to execute her or something,' Arthur explained. 'He had the tree house torn down before I even woke up. She'd suffered enough,' he admitted. 'Besides, don't think I don't know that Morgana confessed her misdeeds to you.' Gaius grinned.

'Along with a threat to have me put in the stocks if I so much as thought about betraying her to your father.' Arthur hadn't known that. He felt uncontrollable laughter rising up inside him at the thought of a seven-year-old Morgana threatening a fifty-something year old Gaius. His laughter soon turned into a groan as the small movement sent spasms of pain through his ribs. As he tipped his head back, gasping for breath, he finally became aware of the identity of his pillow. He followed the lines of Merlin's arms to where they were wrapped around his ribs and looked across at Gaius in confusion.

'Gaius, why…?'

'You were hypothermic,' the physician lied quickly, 'he was trying to keep you warm.' The look of pride on Gaius' face as his eyes flickered over Merlin reminded Arthur of the way a doting mother looks upon her child. 'He was so exhausted he fell asleep,' the physician continued. 'I can wake him up if you'd prefer.' Arthur shook his head immediately. If Merlin hadn't woken up even after the prince had started laughing, he must really be exhausted. Arthur had a sudden memory of being cradled by his manservant as he tried to avoid screaming out in pain, then another flashback to being slung over the saddle of his horse by the young man. Merlin must have been responsible for saving his life. Again.

'I thought I was going to die,' he confided to the physician, 'but I remember Merlin telling me I was going to be okay. I remember him promising he was going to get me home, promising you could help me. I remember him literally dragging my sorry behind onto my horse and bringing me back.' He looked confused for a moment. 'What have I done to deserve that amount of loyalty?' he asked in amazement. Gaius thought for a moment.

'You offered him the greatest gift you had,' the old man responded wisely, 'you gave him your friendship.' As Arthur continued to stare at the sleeping figure in amazement, a further image flashed into his mind. A feeling of being dissociated, of being torn apart. A vision of Merlin holding onto him and shouting a string of undecipherable words. A sensation of completeness more powerful even than the overwhelming pain he had experienced for so long. His jaw dropped. Arthur didn't know how he knew, but he did, and with absolute certainty. All this had taken place inside his own head – and Merlin, the real Merlin, had been with him. Finally he understood what the younger man had been trying to tell him all along. He sighed and closed his eyes.

'Oh, Merlin. What am I going to do with you?' he asked the sleeping figure.

---

The army of Camelot were marching home. Uther had ordered the men awakened before dawn, anxious to return to his son, and after a hasty breakfast, they headed back in the direction from which they had come. It was several hours into the journey when Morgana's message finally reached them.

'Sire, a messenger approaches,' Sir Thomas pointed out needlessly. Both he and Uther could clearly see the man on horseback galloping towards them and flying the flag of Camelot. Uther rode forward to meet the man immediately.

'Sire, I bring news from Camelot, and a message from the Lady Morgana,' the servant began.

'Is it Arthur?' the king asked hesitantly, not really wanting to hear the answer. 'Has something changed?' Distant as he often was towards his only son, Uther cared more deeply about Arthur than he was willing to admit, and would have been devastated if anything had happened to him.

'No sire, Prince Arthur was not mentioned in the message, but the news is not good,' the man continued. 'The Lady Morgana requests that you expedite your return to Camelot. An invading army is approaching the castle. Without a fighting force to defend us, she fears that the kingdom may fall.' Uther took the news stoically. The fact that Morgana hadn't felt the need to send word of his son meant that there was still hope. Incidental distractions like an invading army could be dealt with if necessary.

'Increase marching pace,' Uther demanded of Sir Thomas. 'We shall arrive at Camelot in a matter of hours,' the king announced, 'and we will crush those who would dare invade our land.'

---

'The castle walls are our strongest defence', Morgana informed the gathered townspeople, 'if we can keep them outside and us inside long enough for the king to return with the army, we won't have to engage them in combat.'

'And if they break through the walls?'

'Then we will fight,' Morgana replied simply, 'the entire army of Camelot will arrive within hours. Our job is to make sure there's still a Camelot for them to fight for.'

Before anyone could respond, there was a cry from the lookout in the easternmost tower. The army had arrived and were demanding parley.

'All right,' Morgana decided, 'I'm going to speak to them. I'll stall as long as I can but we need to be ready to repel the invaders. Get into groups and start thinking of ways to slow them down. Add extra barricades to the gates and start heating tar to pour onto anyone who tries to climb the walls.' She turned to her maidservant, 'Gwen, you'd better go and let Gaius know that his services may be required. Find out how Arthur's doing too.' Once the younger woman had departed, Morgana drew herself up to her full height, took a deep breath and headed for Camelot's east wall.

---

Gaius put his finger to his lips as Gwen entered the room and gestured towards the two sleeping men in explanation. The maidservant was forced to place a hand over her mouth to stifle a giggle. The heir to the throne of Camelot was fast asleep, his head resting on his manservant's stomach. Merlin meanwhile was snoring softly, his hand resting on the prince's shoulder. Arthur looked pale and tired but the lines of pain that had been evident even in his unconscious state were no longer present. Even more miraculously, from Gwen's perspective, was the transformation she could see in Gaius. It seemed that Merlin's mere presence in the room had been enough to restore the physician to health. She wrapped her arms around the older man and planted a kiss on his cheek.

'It seems I owe you an apology,' Gaius whispered, careful not to wake the sleeping men, 'and a thank you. Had you not been so thorough in your ministrations, I fear I might be dead.'

'I don't think I did anything,' Gwen protested at once, 'Merlin…'

'…is no physician,' Gaius finished, rapidly changing the subject. 'Fortunately for Prince Arthur, Merlin got him back to me in good time. With enough rest he will make a full recovery. You may assure the Lady Morgana that he is out of danger.'

'She will be most relieved,' the maidservant responded, 'but there is another reason I came to see you. I came to tell you that…' Before she could continue further, a loud bang sounded from somewhere outside. The sleeping prince awoke with a start.

'What in the name of all that is holy was that?!' he demanded, trying and failing to sit up.

'…the castle's under siege,' Gwen finished. She turned to Gaius. 'The Lady Morgana said to let you know that your services may be required.' Gaius nodded.

'Of course.' The prince, on the other hand, was still processing the information.

'_Morgana_ said? Where the hell is my father?' he demanded.

'He's out recalling the army, your highness,' the maidservant admitted.

'Recalling the army?' Arthur spluttered, incensed. 'You mean Morgana's out there facing down a whole invasion force by herself?!'

'Well the townspeople….' Gwen began.

'Good Lord!' Arthur interrupted her. 'Just because the woman can handle a sword she thinks she can lead a rabble against an army! Help me up,' he demanded. When neither of the two made a move to help him, he took the only remaining option available to him. He turned slightly and elbowed his sleeping manservant in the ribs.

'Merlin! Help me up,' he ordered.

'Hngh?' the warlock asked, startled awake. 'Arthur, you're okay!' he observed. The prince rolled his eyes.

'Astounding as your powers of observation undoubtedly are, we don't have time to discuss them now. Help me up, we have a castle to defend.' In obedience to his master's commanding tone, Merlin stood and pulled the prince to his feet. As Gaius had expected, Arthur's knees buckled immediately and Camelot's heir found himself landing unceremoniously on the bed.

'You highness, you need to rest,' Gaius insisted.

'I'm fine,' the prince was adamant. 'I need to get out there and find out what's happening.' Merlin scrutinised his master closely.

'Gaius has a point,' he argued diplomatically. 'I mean, before you go into battle it's usually a good idea if you're strong enough to stand…' Before Arthur could decide whether his manservant was being sincere or sarcastic, a second loud explosion sounded from somewhere near the walls of the castle.

'Merlin,' the prince informed the younger man, 'I am going out there if I have to drag myself across the floor by my fingernails. Are you going to help me or are you going to try to stop me?' The warlock looked into his friend's eyes, seeing the conviction contained within them. Arthur needed to do this. He nodded slowly.

'Okay,' he agreed. He once again pulled the prince to his feet, this time wrapping an arm around his master's waist and draping the man's right arm across his shoulder. With Merlin taking almost all of their combined weight, the pair headed for the door.


	12. Chapter 12

Author's Note: I continue to be astounded by the amount of fantastic feedback you guys are handing out. Thank you. I decided not to be mean this time and made sure I didn't take too long to post the next instalment. Of course, when you read the end of the chapter, you may choose not to believe me about being mean. :p. I think I's nearly finished now. Just one or two final instalments to go. Enjoy. :)

---

'Arthur, what the hell do you think you're doing?' Morgana's indignant voice rang out as the prince and his manservant reached the east wall and slumped to the floor next to where the woman was standing.

'Demanding a situation report,' the younger man responded stubbornly.

'Well you look like death,' Morgana observed, 'and Merlin doesn't look much better.' The prince chose to ignore her.

'Must I remind you that I am in command here in my father's absence?' he argued. 'I asked you for a situation report.'

'What you are is going to get yourself killed if you try to fight in that state,' Morgana fumed, 'and for the record, they're throwing fireballs at the castle doors. I don't think they took kindly to my refusal to surrender. Now if you'll take my advice, oh great leader of Camelot, you'll go back down to Gaius' chambers and get some rest,' she concluded with more than a hint of sarcasm. 'Whatever you choose to do, just stay out of my way. Right now you're a liability.' She stormed away leaving both Arthur and Merlin staring open-mouthed after her.

Arthur sighed. Morgana was right. The way he felt, the best option may well be to curl up into a ball and sleep for a month, but he didn't have that luxury. Whether Morgana understood it or not, Camelot was his responsibility. He needed to get his strength back, and quickly. He turned to his manservant, who was slouched beside him.

'Merlin, whatever you did in the Calderanian castle before I fought that knight, can you do it again?'

'Erm…' the younger man began hesitantly. Arthur looked at his manservant, preparing to argue but what he saw stopped him dead. Morgana had been right – Merlin looked terrible. The warlock's complexion was pale and his skin clammy and the man looked much more frail than the Merlin he was used to. The prince felt the guilt settle in his stomach like a lead weight. He hadn't even thought to ask his friend if he was all right before ordering him to assist with this fool's errand. Lowering his voice, he placed his hand gently on the younger man's shoulder.

'Merlin? What you had to do to cure me, it hurt you, didn't it?' Merlin's head jerked up and their eyes met briefly before the warlock's eyes looked away guiltily.

'You know, don't you?' he asked fearfully. The prince smirked slightly and nodded.

'Difficult to miss when we start having conversations inside my head.' He sighed and rubbed a hand across his face. 'Why didn't you tell me?'

'I seem to recall mentioning it twice now,' the warlock responded sulkily, referring both to the time when Gwen had been accused of witchcraft and to their conversation in the clearing after Arthur had fought the Calderanian knight. 'You didn't believe me either time.'

'And the rest of the time, when nobody's life was in danger? You could have told me then.'

'And force you to choose between having me executed and betraying your father?' Arthur shook his head in disbelief. Merlin had kept this a secret from him to _protect_ him?!

'You really can be an idiot sometimes, Merlin. Do you honestly think I'd let you be executed?'

'Your father…'

'Merlin, I am loyal to Camelot and I am loyal to my father, but just because he's the king doesn't always make him right. When I act, it has to be in the best interests of Camelot. I know you, and I know you're no threat to any of us. Quite the opposite in fact. If it wasn't for you I would already be dead. I trust you with my life and I already owe it to you several times over, probably more. You may be a terrible servant but you're a good man and a good friend. Don't forget that.' Merlin heaved a sigh of relief, grateful for not having to pretend any more.

'Thank you,' he replied sincerely.

'Now stop avoiding the question,' the prince chided. 'Morgana was right, you look awful. Healing me did that to you, didn't it?' Merlin tried to smile reassuringly.

'Don't worry, this is much better than I expected, believe me. We were both really lucky.'

'What's that supposed to mean?'

'Nothing,' the warlock insisted. 'To answer your first question, magic requires focus. I'm just not sure my brain's that capable of concentration right now. Repairing your soul was a little overwhelming, sorry.'

'Merlin, did you just apologise for saving my life?'

'Sorry.' Arthur rolled his eyes.

'Maybe we should just stay here for a while,' he suggested, once again casting his eyes over his friend. He finally noticed the swollen purple of the young man's knuckles. 'Merlin?' he asked, 'What happened to your hand?'

---

As the army of Camelot caught sight of the invasion force, Uther rode forward confidently. Although neither Arthur nor Morgana were old enough to remember, this was a role the king had played many times, much as his son now did under his direction. He knew the taste of battle and it held no fear for him. His men were well-trained and outnumbered the Calderanian force ten to one. Even accounting for the magical skills employed by their adversaries, this was a battle that Camelot should easily be able to win. He drew his sword and issued orders to his men, then paying heed to the old adage that a good commander leads from the front, spurred his horse to begin the charge.

---

Morgana shook her head at the stubbornness of the two men in front of her. She had returned to the east wall to find the pair sitting exactly where she had left them. Arthur's skin had taken on a distinctly grey pallor and he was obviously having trouble focusing on her. Merlin had given up all pretence and was snoring softly despite the noise of the battle, his head resting on the prince's shoulder. She took a seat beside them.

'Arthur, take Merlin back downstairs to Gaius,' she instructed, trying a different approach. 'Nobody's going to think any less of you if you sit this one out. I can handle it.' Arthur looked down to see the townspeople working calmly and efficiently going about their tasks and had to admit that Morgana was doing a good job. Nonetheless, he shook his head.

'Even at half-strength I can outfight almost all of them. Hell, even Merlin can fight better than most of them. You need me,' he continued stubbornly. Morgana raised an eyebrow.

'Half-strength? Looks more like no strength to me,' she commented.

'I can fight,' the prince insisted. Before she could argue further, they were interrupted by a young man who Morgana had charged with lookout duties.

'My Lady,' the man gasped, clearly out of breath. 'I have news. The army of Camelot has arrived.' As Morgana heaved a sigh of relief he continued, 'but the Calderanians have breached the main gate. They're inside the castle.'

---

Uther revelled in the exhilaration of the battle as he skilfully wielded his sword to dispatch yet another adversary. He had been right – the men of Camelot had gained the upper hand within minutes. As fewer and fewer of the enemy soldiers remained, most of the Calderanians had abandoned their attempts at spellcasting in favour of defending themselves from the furious swordwork of Uther's army. They had expected little resistance but now, faced with a mighty military force, they were overwhelmed. After the shortest battle in the history of Camelot, the Calderanian army sounded the retreat.

---

Back in the castle, Arthur was feeling no such exhilaration. Upon hearing the news that the invaders had breached the gate, he had quickly awoken Merlin and the pair had grabbed weapons and staggered into the fray. After only a few minutes, the prince was sweating profusely and gasping for breath. He was once again forced to admit that Morgana had been right – half strength may have been a bit of an exaggeration. Speaking of Morgana… Arthur looked around to see the king's ward fiercely battling two Calderanian knights. Despite the uneven odds, she seemed to be well in control of the situation. As he continued to watch, however, he saw a third man approaching her from behind. The woman was so focused on her current opponents that she was completely oblivious to the danger.

'Morgana!' he tried to yell, but the noise came out more like a strangled scream, inaudible over the noise of the battle. Summoning all the energy he could muster, the prince began to run towards her.

Arthur reached the man at the same moment the man reached Morgana. Clasping his sword in his right hand and his dagger in his left, the prince slashed and stabbed wildly, stopping only when the Calderanian's body was torn to shreds. As the retreat sounded, he was greeted by a shocked look from Morgana, who had suddenly found her opponents running for the exit.

'Thank you,' she gasped. Arthur nodded and tried to take a deep breath, surprised when his lungs refused to obey. As he struggled to breathe, the sword fell from his right hand and he reached up to grasp his throat. The edges of his vision started to grey out.

'Arthur?' the prince heard Merlin's concerned voice nearby and stumbled in the direction of the sound.

'Arthur, no!' he heard Morgana's voice cry out from behind him but by now his vision was swimming and he was barely even able to remain standing. He could just about make out the warlock's indistinct form in front of him. As he collapsed into his friend's waiting arms he realised too late that he was still holding the dagger and that the weapon had pierced the warlock's stomach. He had just enough time to make out the expression of pain and horror on Merlin's features before everything went black.


	13. Chapter 13

Author's note: Thanks again for the feedback at the end of the last chapter. I'd apologise for leaving you with such an evil cliffhanger but I wouldn't really mean it. :D As requested, I've tried to add a bit of stuff from the fight scene from the others' points of view at the beginning. Hope it reads ok. Enjoy the chapter.

---

Merlin had dutifully followed his master in defence of Camelot and he and Arthur had been fighting back-to-back in deference to their temporary weakness. As the last of their opponents fell to the ground, defeated, he heard the prince let out a cry of horror and, with a speed the warlock wouldn't have thought possible under the circumstances, propel himself in Morgana's direction. Turning to discover the reason for the urgency, Merlin had watched as his master arrived just in time to prevent the woman's death, turning on her assailant with insane ferocity. It was only after the enemy had been dispatched and Morgana turned to speak to Arthur that Merlin realised something was wrong. Despite no longer exerting himself, the prince continued to gasp for breath and his hand reached for his throat as though the action might provide some degree of relief. As Merlin stepped closer, he noticed that Arthur's eyes were unfocused and his lips taking on a blue tinge – the prince was suffocating.

'Arthur?' Merlin called out in concern, relieved when the prince turned towards him. As he reached out to steady his friend, the man slumped forward. He was barely able to register Morgana's cry of horror before he felt the cold steel of Arthur's dagger piercing his flesh. His expression of shock was momentarily mirrored in Arthur's eyes before the prince collapsed, unconscious, causing them both to fall to the floor.

As he lay face to face with his friend, struggling to remain awake, Merlin realised that the prince still wasn't breathing. Using his own pain to focus his mind, he reached towards his friend, his touch conveying a healing spell he was no longer capable of speaking. As the unconscious man took his first deep breath in several minutes, the warlock closed his eyes and succumbed to the inviting blackness.

---

Morgana's emotions had turned quickly from grateful shock to sisterly concern to outright horror as she watched the events unfold in front of her. As the two men collapsed to the ground she rushed forwards and knelt on the floor beside them. The prince was unconscious and clearly not breathing. His manservant was faring slightly better. Merlin lay, eyes glassy with pain, staring with frightening focus at his friend, oblivious to Morgana's presence. She watched helplessly as Merlin's arm stretched out towards his friend, stunned when the touch apparently caused the prince's breathing to restart. Smiling in relief, she turned to speak to Merlin, but the manservant's eyes had slipped closed. As she continued to watch, his grip on the prince slackened.

'Merlin, no!' she screamed, shaking his shoulders, but the manservant was completely unresponsive. 'Somebody get Gaius, now!' she yelled desperately over the sounds of the fading battle.

---

Uther strode into the courtyard to find Gaius, ashen-faced, kneeling over the unmoving forms of Arthur and his manservant. Immediately his heart leapt into his throat and he was consumed with overwhelming guilt at his failure to protect his son.

'Gaius?' he asked hesitantly, but it was a distraught Morgana, standing nearby, who answered him.

'Arthur's going to be fine,' she assured him, 'Gaius made an antidote to the poison – Arthur'd probably be fine by now if he wasn't such a stubborn idiot,' she concluded, completely failing to moderate her opinion for her audience. Uther chose not to chastise her.

'Then what..?'

'There was an accident,' she explained. 'Arthur had a dagger in his hand. He collapsed and Merlin caught him.' The king looked from his ward over to the unconscious servant, noticing for the first time the large red stain across the young man's abdomen. On closer inspection he noted both a deep wound from the knife's initial penetration and a slash, clearly caused when the men had fallen. In a moment of rare empathy he placed a hand on the elderly physician's shoulder and knelt down beside him.

'Gaius?' he asked again.

'Prince Arthur will live, sire,' Gaius reported dutifully. 'He needs to be taken somewhere to rest.'

'I'll take him myself,' the king responded immediately. 'What about the boy?' he gestured in Merlin's direction.

'If I can treat him now, he may stand a small chance,' the physician declared. 'I need to get him to my rooms,' he added. The king nodded. Attracting the attention of a nearby knight, Uther ordered the man to carry Merlin into the castle, then put the man at Gaius disposal for as long as he was needed. Having done everything possible to help the physician, Uther picked up his unresponsive son and carried him to his chambers.

---

'Put him down there,' Gaius ordered the knight, gesturing towards the bed that had seen so much use over the past few days. Picking up a poker, he rammed it into the hot fire. Gwen and Morgana, who had followed them from the courtyard, now stood in the doorway, not knowing what to do but hesitant to leave.

'I'm going to need your help,' Gaius addressed Gwen. She nodded.

'Of course.' The elderly physician carefully cut away his protégé's clothing to reveal the full horror of the wound. Blood oozed from the hole, making it impossible to see the extent of the damage. Bathing a cloth in alcohol, Gaius gently attempted to clean the wound. Even in his unconscious state, Merlin moaned and tried to move away.

'Hold him still,' Gaius ordered the knight. He once again turned towards his patient, swabbing away as much blood as possible, desperately trying to block out Merlin's agonised cries. Finally the wound was clean and Gaius ceased his ministrations, relieved when the warlock's pained struggling also stopped. 'I'm sorry Merlin, this is going to hurt,' he informed the unconscious man, paternally brushing his hand across his protégé's forehead before inserting a piece of wood into his mouth. 'I need you to keep hold of his hand,' the physician requested of Gwen, 'don't let go no matter what.' She nodded in understanding.

Carrying out a final check to ensure that Merlin was being held securely, Gaius alcohol-sterilised a pair of tweezers and thrust them into the wound, retrieving the last pieces of the young man's tunic, which had entered his body with the knife. The final foreign objects removed, the physician swabbed the would one last time and took hold of the poker.

'Merlin, forgive me,' the elderly man asked, as he plunged the poker into the warlock's side. Merlin let out a heartrending scream as the heat of the poker's cauterisation exacerbated the pain of Arthur's knife. As he did so, a jar that rested on Gaius' shelf exploded, causing Morgana, who was standing closest, to jump in surprise. Gwen, who still had a firm hold of the warlock's hand, winced at the crushing pressure of the young man's grip. Pale-faced and nauseated by the smell of Merlin's burning flesh, Gaius forced himself to continue. Finally, the cauterisation complete, he smeared the wound with antiseptic ointment and bound it with clean bandages. His immediate task complete, the elderly man sank into a nearby chair and took a deep, shaky breath.

'Thank you,' Gaius acknowledged weakly. He needed time to compose himself. 'Leave us, please?' he requested of his companions. Nodding in understanding, the three left the room immediately. The physician took hold of Merlin's hand and settled down to begin his long vigil.

---

Uther watched as his son tossed and turned, his sleep troubled by nightmares. It had been years since he had witnessed such an event, partially because Arthur was infrequently troubled by his dreams, but mostly because the pair lacked the closeness observed in most father-son relationships. Even now he felt that he was intruding on the young man's privacy, knowing that Arthur would be embarrassed to be seen exhibiting weakness, a trait they both shared. He reached out hesitantly and placed a hand on his son's shoulder, startling the young man from his nightmare. Arthur bolted upright, shaking and gasping for breath. The king snatched his hand back, afraid that he had already been caught displaying weakness, but Arthur's mind was focused elsewhere.

'Merlin! No!' he gasped in panic, looking wildly about the room for his manservant. He saw only his father. Neither Merlin nor Gaius were anywhere to be seen. 'Oh God,' he muttered in shock. 'I killed him.' He rolled over to the far side of his bed and began to retch.

'Arthur, pull yourself together,' the king ordered, not meaning to sound so harsh but unable to put his real feelings into words. 'You all did a good job. We won the battle and prevented the invasion.' Arthur turned to glare at his father.

'Is that all you care about?' he demanded. 'Merlin risked his life to get me back to Camelot and I betrayed him. I stabbed my _friend_ while he was trying to help me yet again and all you care about is your precious honour and your stupid battles. Merlin's probably dead already but I have to know. I need to see him. I need to apologise.' He threw back his bedcovers and, finding himself fully dressed, pulled on a pair of boots.

'Arthur, don't you dare walk out of here!' Uther ordered, but the prince was no longer paying attention. Instead, he pulled himself to his feet and walked unsteadily towards the door. 'Arthur, get back here!' the king yelled, but there was no reply. The prince had gone and he was left alone to wonder where and when his relationship with his son had gone so wrong. Lowering his head into his hands, he sighed.

---

Arthur opened the door to Gaius' chambers to see the physician staring worriedly at his protégé. Arthur didn't know who looked worse – Gaius or Merlin. Still, he would take what he could get and the warlock obviously wasn't dead, though the prince had to admit that he wasn't sure how long that statement would remain true.

'Was there something you wanted, your highness?' the physician asked coldly, looking up at the young prince. Arthur was shocked by the animosity he saw in the normally placid man's face. He decided to ignore it for the moment – his quest was far more important.

'How's Merlin?' he asked, stepping further into the room.

'His condition is unchanged, your highness,' Gaius replied, just as coldly.

'Unchanged from what?' the prince demanded. Suddenly, the penny dropped. 'You think I tried to kill him, don't you? You know I found out about his magic and you assumed I'd decided to just execute him myself. You think I stabbed him deliberately!'

'Well did you?' the physician asked.

'No!' Arthur's denial was instant. 'I could never… I wouldn't… I mean, this is Merlin! For you to even think that I would… After everything he's done for me. How could you think that?' Before Gaius could answer, Merlin stirred, reacting to his master's voice.

'Arthur, no! Please!' he screamed, trapped in some kind of fevered dream. 'Don't. It hurts. It hurts so much.' Arthur blanched. He could deal with Gaius thinking he was a murderer, but Merlin? Suddenly he felt claustrophobic. He had to get out. He bolted for the door.

'Arthur! Come back!' Gaius called after him, but he was oblivious to the words. He ran out of the castle, through the damaged gate and into the forest, where finally, exhausted, he collapsed against a tree. Before he could stop them, tears began streaming down his face and he finally let go.


	14. Chapter 14

Author's note: Ok, I lied, it's not finished. There'll be one more chapter after this. I was going to write it all in one go but this bit was so long I figured I'd post it by itself. Thank you again for all the fantastic feedback I have received both for this chapter and the rest of the story. The sheer length of this story has astounded me but you guys have all encouraged me to stay focused and keep going. Thanks! Hope you enjoy…

---

Gwen opened the door to find Gaius sitting by Merlin's bedside, exactly as they had left him several hours earlier.

'How is he?' she asked, taking a seat beside the elderly man. Gaius shook his head.

'Not good,' he answered tiredly. 'He's very weak and starting to show signs of a fever. If it develops, and I think it will, he won't last twenty-four hours. He hasn't got the strength left to fight it.' Gwen's breath caught in her throat.

'Isn't there anything we can do?' she demanded.

'Pray?' Gaius suggested. He sighed. 'After everything that's happened, to lose Merlin like this…' he left the sentence unfinished. The maidservant blinked back the tears her eyes were threatening to shed.

'He's really going to die, isn't he?' she asked, hoping fervently that the physician would give her some reason for hope. He gave none.

'I fear so,' he admitted. At this confirmation, Gwen's emotional control failed, and she felt hot tears streaming down her cheeks and she looked at her unconscious friend.

'I don't even remember what life was like before he arrived,' she admitted. 'What are we going to do without him?' The physician shook his head. He had been sure that a great destiny awaited the young man. Without Merlin, the future of Camelot was far from certain.

'I don't know,' he replied. Pulling the young woman into a hug, he realised that he, too, was crying.

---

Morgana walked into the physician's rooms, stopping when she saw the tears streaming down the faces of both Gaius and Gwen. She turned quickly to examine the unconscious man, relieved to find that he was still breathing.

'Have either of you seen Arthur?' she asked. 'Uther's frantic. They had a bit of a fight a few hours ago and now Arthur's disappeared.'

'He was here,' Gaius admitted. 'I…I may have led him to believe that I thought he stabbed Merlin intentionally. He left rather quickly, before I could apologise.'

'You what?!' Morgana demanded. 'It was an accident! Arthur would never hurt Merlin. Never!' Gaius looked ashamed.

'I know,' he replied. 'I was upset. I needed someone to blame. I shouldn't have taken it out on Arthur, and I'm sorry for that.'

'It's not me you need to be apologising to,' Morgana informed him curtly. She turned towards the door. 'I'm going to find Arthur. I really hope he hasn't done anything stupid.'

---

Arthur looked up as Morgana approached, quickly wiping his eyes with his sleeve. He had stopped crying some time ago, and his despair had been replaced by an all-consuming hopelessness. He closed his eyes and tilted his head back against the tree, waiting for the inevitable lecture. Instead, he was surprised to feel warmth by his side as Morgana settled next to him. A warm coat was thrust into his hands and he looked up, noticing for the first time that he was shivering.

'Put it on, you'll catch your death,' Morgana instructed. Arthur shrugged apathetically then pulled on the coat, returning his focus to the spot on the ground that he had been staring at before Morgana's arrival. They continued to sit in silence. Finally, Morgana broke the fragile truce.

'Are you all right?' she asked hesitantly.

'Fine,' the prince replied stubbornly.

'You're supposed to be resting,' she reminded him. Arthur shrugged again. 'Gaius told me what happened,' Morgana continued unperturbed. 'He was wrong to say what he did. We all know you would never deliberately hurt Merlin, Gaius included. He was upset, and we all know he's a little overprotective of Merlin. I know it doesn't excuse his behaviour, but…'

'It does,' Arthur replied softly. 'It may not have been deliberate but it was my fault. He was right to blame me.' Morgana turned and held the prince's face between her hands.

'You listen to me, Arthur Pendragon. No matter which way you look at it, this was not your fault. Now come on, stop this silliness and let's go back to Camelot. Your father's worried sick.' Arthur laughed bitterly.

'Told you that, did he? All my father's worried about is having to train someone else to lead his army.' Morgana shook her head.

'Your father is a good man, and he loves you very much. If the two of you weren't both so stubborn and so alike, you'd know that.' Arthur stood and moved away.

'Look, Morgana. I appreciate what you're trying to do,' he replied, 'but please go back to Camelot. I'm fine. Thanks for the coat.' He turned away and began to walk further into the forest.

'If you won't come back for me or your father,' Morgana pleaded. 'Come back for Merlin. He needs you.' The prince turned back to his pursuer.

'Merlin needs me like he needs a hole in the gut,' Arthur spat bitterly. 'Oh, wait a minute…'

'Arthur,' Morgana was yelling now, 'do you really want Merlin to die thinking you don't give a damn?'

'Damn it to hell, Morgana,' Arthur yelled back, 'I don't want Merlin to die at all!' Morgana's voice softened.

'Right now I don't think that's a possibility,' she told him, moving closer. She placed a hand on his arm. 'Come back, please?' she begged. Arthur hung his head in shame.

'I can't.'

'Merlin wouldn't have left you,' Morgana appealed to the prince's sense of guilt. It worked a little too well.

'Well he should have,' Arthur shouted, 'The idiot should have left me to die in Calderania. If he hadn't dragged me back here, he'd be fine, I'd be dead and everyone would be happy.' He wasn't prepared for the slap that impacted his left cheek.

'Don't you ever think that, Arthur Pendragon,' Morgana reprimanded him. 'Camelot needs you, and right now the bit of Camelot that needs you is Merlin. Running away is the coward's way out, and you're no coward. Come back with me. See him.' her voice cracked in her throat as she continued. 'Say goodbye. You owe him that.' Arthur took a deep, shaky breath, then nodded. Together the pair began to make their way back to the castle.

---

Arthur stepped hesitantly into the chambers of the royal court physician, unsure of his welcome. He needn't have worried. This time, Gaius offered him a small smile as he approached the bed.

'Your highness, I must apologise,' the physician began, but Arthur silenced him with a wave of his hand.

'It doesn't matter,' he informed the older man. 'How is he?' the prince gestured towards Merlin. The warlock's face was a deathly white, except for his cheeks, which were tinged red with fever. His face and hair were sweat-slicked and his breathing was ragged and painful. Arthur knew his friend was close to death, but he couldn't stop hoping for another outcome.

'His wound has become infected. I'm afraid he's losing the battle,' Gaius replied sadly. 'It's only a matter of time.'

'May I sit with him?' Arthur asked. The physician examined the younger man closely.

'You should be resting,' he concluded. 'You're not even close to fully recovered.'

'I can rest later,' the prince argued. 'Merlin won't…' he stopped, too much in denial to finish the sentence. 'Please?' he begged. Gaius finally nodded.

'Very well,' he agreed. 'I'll give you some privacy. Call me if you need anything.' The physician departed, leaving Arthur alone with the dying man.

'Oh Merlin,' he whispered sadly, 'what have I done?'

'Arthur?' Merlin responded. For a moment the prince thought his friend was lucid, but his hopes were dashed as the warlock continued. 'Arthur, get out, it's too dangerous. Forget the flower. Let me die.' Arthur felt a lump form in his throat as he finally understood the nature of his friend's dream and discovered the full extent of the man's loyalty. Even unconscious and dying the warlock had been protecting him. He felt humbled by his friend's selflessness.

'I really didn't deserve you, did I?' he murmured, blinking back tears. He was _not_ going to cry.

'Arthur?' Merlin asked again. The prince took hold of his friend's hand.

'I'm here, Merlin,' he answered. 'Get some rest.' At the prince's touch, Merlin quietened. After a few minutes, the exhausted prince felt his eyelids begin to droop.

---

Uther entered the room, pausing as he caught sight of his son sleeping soundly at his friend's bedside. Morgana had visited him several hours ago to let him know that Arthur was safe, but he had been plagued by the need to see for himself that the man was unharmed. He approached silently, unwilling to wake either Arthur or Merlin, though, looking at his son's manservant, he doubted the boy was likely to be woken ever again.

As the thought passed through his head, he felt the sudden urge to wake his son, pull him into his arms and let him know just how important he was, but the king knew he could not. He had raised Arthur to be a king, and the prince had learned his lessons well; perhaps too well. The young man now kept his emotions so tightly under control in his father's presence that any chance they might have had of a normal father-son relationship had long since faded away.

Relieved to find the prince apparently unharmed, Uther leaned down and placed a kiss on his son's forehead then turned and, just as silently, left the room.

---

Arthur awoke to find that Gaius had returned and was sitting beside him, gently wiping the sweat from the warlock's face.

'There must be something we can do,' Arthur suggested desperately, 'something you haven't tried. We can't just give up and let him die like this.'

'I wish there were,' the physician answered sadly, 'but Merlin's injuries are beyond the ability of science to heal.'

'Beyond the ability of science?' Arthur questioned. 'What about magic?' he stood. 'If I could find a sorcerer who would be willing to help…'

'Sit down Arthur,' Gaius instructed the prince, 'Merlin will be dead in a matter of hours, and as you well know, your father has decreed to execute anyone caught practising or abetting sorcery.'

'To hell with my father,' the prince declared vehemently. 'We have to try something!' Gaius nodded slowly.

'All right, you need to leave.'

'What?!' the prince demanded incredulously. 'How is that going to help?'

'You are the crown prince of Camelot,' Gaius reminded Arthur, 'you cannot be found to be engaging in criminal activities. There would be repercussions for the entire kingdom.'

'I don't care,' Arthur countered. 'I caused this, and I'm not going to leave it to others to put right. I'm staying here until we find some way to help Merlin or until the point when he's beyond our help. Just tell me where I can find help, please?' Gaius sighed. Arthur was right. In fact, he had already intended to use magic to try to save Merlin, but he hadn't planned on involving the prince in the process.

'I have some small skill in magic,' he admitted, 'nothing even close to the powers Merlin possesses, but very few people do. It would mean breaking the promise I made to your father, but I could attempt to cast the healing spell Merlin worked on you. It won't be as effective - the best I can hope for is to prevent Merlin from dying and to partially heal his wounds and infection.' Arthur raised both eyebrows at the revelation.

'If you can do this,' he questioned, 'why haven't you done it already? Are you afraid of being caught and executed?'

'Of course I'm afraid of being caught and executed,' Gaius responded, 'but that's not why I haven't made the attempt. I know it's ridiculous,' he continued, 'but before I try to heal him, there's still hope. If I try to heal Merlin and fail, there'll be no hope left. None at all.'


	15. Chapter 15

Author's note. I finally finished the last chapter. Thanks to all of you for reading this far. Hope you enjoy. Please let me know what you think now it's finished. Constructive criticism is always welcome, as are people just being nice to me. :D I haven't used a beta on this or anything else I've written, so you know where the blame for the hordes of grammatical errors and typos rests. ;-)

---

Arthur looked down at the shivering figure of his friend, then across at Gaius, who was preparing to attempt the healing spell.

'This is going to work,' he assured the physician confidently. 'You can do this, Gaius.'

'I appreciate the confidence,' Gaius replied, 'but you need to understand that this is very powerful magic. Merlin may make this look easy, but for him spellcasting is as natural as breathing. I'll do my best, but he's not going to recover overnight. This will give him a chance, nothing more.' The prince tightened his grip on his friend's hand.

'It's going to work,' he replied defiantly. 'It has to. Do you hear me, Merlin?' he demanded, addressing the younger man. 'You have to get better, understand?'

'Mmmm,' Merlin murmured, turning towards the sound of the voice. 'Put the kettle on, we have to feed the dragons,' he continued. Arthur raised his eyebrows, looking up at Gaius, who shook his head.

'It's no good, his fever's too high,' the physician explained. 'He doesn't understand anything we're saying to him. I doubt he recognises us at all.'

There was no response from the warlock, who continued to lie on his side, shaking violently. As the two continued to watch, Merlin's shivering stopped.

'We don't have much time,' Gaius informed the prince. 'Hold him still.' As Arthur took hold of his friend's arms, he came to a chilling realisation.

'Gaius, he's not breathing.' The physician looked up in shock then reached for his patient's wrist. After a few moments he confirmed the prince's deduction.

'He has no pulse,' he answered, stunned. 'We were too late. He's dead.'

'He can't be,' Arthur argued desperately. 'Come on Merlin, breathe! Wake up damn you!' He took hold of his friend's shoulders and shook him roughly. 'Merlin, come on.' He felt strong hands restraining him from behind.

'Leave him Arthur, it's too late, he's gone.'

'He's not!' the prince insisted, repeatedly slapping the warlock's face. 'Come on Merlin, breathe. Don't make me a murderer!'

'Arthur, you're not…' Gaius began, but he was interrupted by the prince.

'Gaius, try the spell.'

'Even Merlin couldn't raise people from the dead,' the physician argued. 'Merlin was like a son to me, but we have to accept that he's dead. There's nothing we can do.'

'He's not dead,' Arthur was adamant. 'He's only just stopped breathing. You can still save him. Try the spell, Gaius, please?' The physician nodded in surrender.

'Very well,' he agreed. He took a deep breath and recited the spell. 'Anrhega 'm 'r allu chan yn iacháu.' Nothing happened. 'It isn't working,' he admitted after a moment.

'Try it again,' the prince demanded desperately, punching Merlin in the chest in a last-ditch attempt to make him breathe. The warlock remained unresponsive.

'Arthur…'

'Please?' Gaius sighed.

'anrhega 'm 'r allu chan yn iacháu,' he chanted. Still, there was no visible response from Merlin.

'Again!' the prince demanded.

'Arthur, it's no use,' the physician tried to argue.

'If you won't do it, I will,' the prince informed him.

'Arthur, you no more have magical powers than I have wings,' Gaius tried to make the prince understand.

'I don't care!' Arthur yelled back. Wrapping his tongue around the unfamiliar words, he attempted to cast the spell. 'omega mr alloo chanin iachow,' he shouted.

'anrhega,' a voice corrected him. 'anrhega 'm 'r allu chan yn iacháu.' The prince did a double-take. The sound had not come from Gaius. He glanced down to see a pair of fevered green eyes staring back at him. The physician's spell had worked. As he continued to gape, the warlock's lips turned up into a smile.

'Merlin!' Arthur gasped, laughing hysterically and taking hold of both of his friend's shoulders. 'I thought I'd killed you!' A huge grin broke out on his face.

'Can't get rid of me that easily,' the warlock rasped, his eyes slipping closed. 'Fraid you're stuck with me.'

As Merlin fell into a deep sleep, both Gaius and Arthur heaved a huge sigh of relief.

---

'_It's no good, he's dead.'_ The words echoed in Arthur's mind as he opened his eyes to once again find himself sitting up in bed, shaking and gasping for breath. He shook his head, attempting to clear the image of Merlin's lifeless body from his mind. Merlin was alive, he reminded himself yet again as he rubbed a hand through his sweat-soaked hair. Exhausted though he was, the prince had been unable to remain asleep for more than a few minutes at a time since the warlock had regained consciousness. Knowing that his guilt would continue to prevent him from getting the rest Gaius had prescribed, he threw on some clothes and made his way up to the roof, where he stood and watched the sun rise over the kingdom.

'Couldn't sleep?' Uther's voice sounded from behind him. Without turning round, Arthur shook his head, his eyes fixated by the kingdom he would one day inherit. 'How's the boy?', the king asked, moving forward to stand beside his son.

'Better,' the prince responded. 'He's not in the clear yet, but Gaius says he has a good chance.'

'It's a big responsibility, all this,' the king imparted. 'Thousands of people relying on you for guidance, for leadership, for protection. These people don't want a king to be like them – they want somebody strong, somebody confident, somebody who can make the tough decisions that they can't. They don't want to see a man, don't want to see human weaknesses. They want somebody untouchable, and we owe it to them to live up to their expectations.' Arthur sighed.

'What is it that you're trying to tell me?'

'I know I'm tough on you,' Uther continued, 'but I do it for good reason. I know I expect a lot of you, maybe too much sometimes, but I don't expect perfection. You made a decision to fight the other day, and that decision saved Morgana's life, but it also nearly cost the life of your friend. As king, you will have to make many such choices, and sometimes people will die. Whether you think your choices are right or wrong, you can't spend the rest of your life second guessing yourself. I'm sure your young friend would agree.'

'So you're saying I should learn to live without emotion?' the prince asked incredulously as he turned to look at his father. The king put a hand on the nape of his son's neck and their eyes met as he responded.

'Of course not. The empathy you have for our people is what will make you a better king than I ever was,' he admitted, 'but even you can't save everyone. If you remain as you are, the guilt you carry will eventually drive you mad. What I'm telling you is that you need to learn to forgive yourself, as Merlin has no doubt already forgiven you. Think about it.' With that he patted his son on the shoulder and left, leaving Arthur wishing for the first time in a long while that he had chosen to stay.

'What if I can't?' he asked the empty air.

---

Merlin opened his eyes, surprised to see Gaius watching him closely, not even attempting to conceal the worry etched across his features. _'This must have been bad,'_ he told himself. He tried to lift his head, surprised at how weak he had become over such a short time. He felt a paternal hand rest across his forehead and tried to smile reassuringly.

'Your fever's gone,' the physician's voice was gentle, almost fearful. 'You're going to be fine; just rest.' As Gaius ran his hand rhythmically through the warlock's hair, Merlin felt himself drifting back to sleep.

The next time Merlin opened his eyes, he found Arthur sitting beside him. For a moment the young prince looked haggard beyond his years, but as he noticed Merlin looking at him, he brightened, a warm smile spreading across his face.

'Hey,' he smiled. 'Feeling better?'

Merlin nodded and attempted to speak, but found that his mouth was so dry that he was unable to form the words he needed. Within moments Arthur had brought a cup of water to his lips, and he drank thirstily. Unable to swallow quickly enough, he accidentally inhaled a few drops of the water and began to choke. As he coughed, a wave of agony swept across his stomach, reminding him only too painfully of the events that had led to this moment. He curled into a ball, breathing slowly and willing the pain to go away. Even so, he did not miss the mortified look that passed across the prince's features.

'Arthur?' he asked, concerned, as soon as he could spare the energy to speak. 'You ok?' The prince inhaled slowly.

'I'm fine. You should rest.' The warlock screwed up his face in puzzlement.

'You sure?'

'Go to sleep, Merlin,' the prince responded more firmly, effectively ending the conversation. Not having the energy to do much else, Merlin complied. As soon as he was sure the warlock was asleep, Arthur bolted for the door.

---

'_Forgive myself? What the hell was I thinking?'_ Arthur muttered to himself as he leaned on the wall outside Gaius' chambers. _'Look at him! I've never seen anyone alive look so much like a corpse, and I did that to him. How can he have forgiven me?'_ He sighed, leaning his head back against the wall and closing his eyes. He had to make sure nothing like this ever happened again, and to do that, he must correct his original error. If he'd been stronger, or if he'd been faster, he reasoned, he would not have been struck with the poisoned blade. He would have ridden home from Calderania in good shape ready to face the invading army. Training was the answer, he decided. If he trained harder and longer than ever before, he might eventually be able to overcome the guilt that was eating away at him, and, more importantly, he could make sure nothing like this ever happened again.

---

As the days passed, Arthur fell into a routine. Every morning he would rise before dawn, training so hard and for so long that his knights had to train in shifts just to keep up with him. Every evening, he would eat a quick supper then make his way to Gaius' chambers, where he usually arrived just as Merlin was falling asleep. There would be a few minutes of conversation, never long enough for the warlock to ask any awkward questions, then he would sit and watch his friend sleep until the early hours of the morning. Finally, exhausted, he would fall into bed, only to be woken minutes later by his recurring nightmare of Merlin's death. Finally, giving up on sleep, he would rise and begin the cycle again.

He began to avoid his father and Morgana, aware that they could not be stopped from asking pointed questions. Everyone else was either ignored or ordered to remain silent. By the ninth day, the prince was so exhausted he could barely stand. Nonetheless, he ordered his knights to report to the training ground as usual.

As he faced his first opponent of the morning, Arthur's vision began to blur. He shook his head in an attempt to clear it, an action that was not lost on the young knight he was fighting.

'Sire?' the boy hesitated, 'are you all right?'

'On guard,' the prince growled, lunging forwards. The knight easily parried the thrust and followed immediately with a counter. By now, Arthur's vision was swimming. The sword fell from his hand and he raised his arm to protect his head. The young man checked the blow, but he was not fast enough to prevent his sword making contact with the prince's forearm. As blood began to drip from the prince's elbow, the young knight rushed forward. He could not help but notice the lack of focus in the prince's eyes as he looked up.

'Sire, I am so sorry,' he began fearfully, 'I didn't realise…' he was stopped short by Arthur.

'It's fine,' the prince hissed in pain. 'It was my fault. Just…take the day off or something. All of you.' He turned and stumbled away in search of Gaius.

---

Merlin sat on the edge of his bed and flicked idly through one of Gaius' medical textbooks. He was tired and frustrated. He had recovered to the point where he could remain awake for most of the day, but he was still waiting for his strength to return. The effort it cost him to stagger across the room left him completely exhausted and his last attempt to cast even a small spell had left him so physically drained he had slept for ten hours straight. Unable to wander very far or use his magic, he had resorted to reading. Since Gaius had left on his rounds thirty minutes earlier, he had also become bored. Without the physician to explain what he was reading, it might as well be written in a foreign language. Gwen had already visited, and Arthur wasn't due to appear for several hours. He sighed and tossed the book to one side. He hoped Gaius would be back soon. As he continued to stare into space, he heard the door to the outer chamber open, and somebody stepped inside. Standing carefully, he made his way to the door, surprised to see the prince on the other side, his arm dripping with blood.

'Arthur?' he called out, slowly negotiating the steps, 'What happened?'

The prince lifted his head and gazed blankly at Merlin, causing the warlock to gasp in horror. Arthur was a mess. His face was pale except for his eyes, which were surrounded by huge black circles. His clothes, normally a perfect fit, were hanging from the prince's thin frame, a clear indication that he had regained none of the weight lost when he had been poisoned. If anything, the excessive training had caused him to become even thinner. His eyes themselves were unfocused, betraying his lack of sleep. Merlin swore. _'Why didn't I see this before?'_ he asked himself.

'So, this is what happens when I'm not around to look after you?' he asked lightly, afraid that he would be unable to pursue the prince if he chose to leave. 'Let me take a look at that arm,' he suggested, guiding his friend to the nearby bed. Grabbing some alcohol, a cloth, some needle and thread, he took a seat beside the prince and began to clean and stitch his wound. When his task was completed, he sat next to Arthur in silence, waiting for some kind of explanation. Finally realising that none was forthcoming, he attempted to start a conversation. 'So…this whole 'not eating not sleeping not resting' thing… Want to talk about it?' Arthur sighed. To be honest, now Merlin put it like that, he wasn't sure he saw the logic himself.

'I have to…protect people,' he stammered. 'If I'm not strong enough, or fast enough I fail. People get hurt and it's my fault. I have to train harder.'

'You do what you can,' Merlin explained patiently. 'Nobody expects more of you than that. If you don't sleep or eat, you get hurt, others get hurt and that really is your fault. Gaius told you to rest. I think it's time to start listening.' He stood and pushed the unresisting prince gently downwards onto the bed. 'Get some sleep, Arthur,' he ordered firmly. The prince shook his head vehemently.

'I can't,' he looked beseechingly at Merlin. 'Every time I fall asleep, you die. I have to stay awake. I have to fix it.' Merlin let out a breath. He hadn't realised ho badly this had affected his friend.

'Arthur, there's nothing to fix,' he placated his friend. 'It was an accident. It wasn't your fault – if anything, it was mine. I should have paid more attention. I should have looked before I rushed in. Blame me if you have to.'

'Liar,' the prince responded. 'I nearly killed you.'

'But you didn't. I'm here, I'm alive and I'm ok,' the warlock countered. 'Arthur, let it go. Please?' Arthur looked up at his friend for several long moments, as though gauging his sincerity. Finally, he relaxed. As Merlin pulled up a chair and watched over his friend, Arthur finally fell into a much needed sleep.

---

Author's Note 2: Thanks very much to all my reviewers (in order of appearance): Hogaboom, Lady Clark-Weasley of Books, Jenihenpen, Ikchen, Inicol1990, Morena Evensong, Daughter of Thranduil, Caelia Pendragon, Lozrii, XsuicideXkittyX, Miss Unspeakable, RixxiSpooks, Aqua Mage, buttonbit, Foxie Roxie, rhododendron, CB93, arsilverangel, WhiteOwl05, Dragonrider2203 and anyone I've missed out through being a moron. Thanks also to everyone who's read the story or added it to their alerts or favourites. You guys have provided me with the motivation I needed to keep going and get this finished as well as a few ideas along the way. I think this is my longest story ever, so thanks for the help.

Love and hugs,

BecTheLabRat


End file.
